She couldn’t believe what she saw

It was coming right at her throat

Too stunned to act

She watched the tall man

Come at her, she was ready for a match.

And she wasn’t losing this time.

This wasn’t the first time.

Everyone heard or saw

The couple’s daily matches

How they both came for each other’s throats:

A mean man and a stubborn woman

Neither proud of their actions

There was no time to act

They were running out of time

The mean man

was a deadly claw, 

choked her throat.

This was a deadly match.

They all wanted this match

To end. The second act

Had to end soon. Her throat

Was broken this time. 

They all saw

How this mean man

Quickly began 

To wrap and snatch

The woman's body. He used a saw

To finish the act. 

No one lived this time. 

She only wore her coat. 

While her body was beginning to float

the mean man began to run—

“There has been a crime

A woman was attacked

And you will be caught.”

Everyone saw. 

Her death, impact 

A battered woman's act

No one helped, but everyone saw.

Myra'Nesha McNeil (she/her) is a senior at Blackburn College majoring in creative writing and minoring in business management. She is proud to be from East St. Louis and wants to spread her love towards others.