Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Tag: Domestic Violence Awareness

  • 100 Days of Poems- Day 9: “Pain on Purpose”- Things Love won’t do

    100 Days of Poems- Day 9: “Pain on Purpose”- Things Love won’t do

    TW- Topic is Physical Abuse in intimate relationships if that’s too much today save this for another day.

    Some literary and visual artworks are written slowly, over weeks, shaped by distance and reflection.

    Others arrive all at once, urgent, sharp, and unwilling to wait.

    This piece lives in that second category. It speaks to intentional harm, to the lie that pain can be justified by love, and to the quiet danger of staying when leaving feels impossible.

    Pain on Purpose exists to name what should never be normalized.

    Pain on Purpose

    I wish I could say

    I didn’t quite

    understand

    why

    you

    chose to believe

    purposeful pain

    could come

    from an

    individual who truly loved you

    Actions

    aligned more with

    their same behavior

    after anything they claim they own

    isn’t fucking flawless

    Love doesn’t

    look like

    this

    Eyes swelled shut

    will hopefully heal soon,

    allowing insight

    to guide you toward leaving,

    or

    you may lose your life

    Human hands held hopes

    now

    positioned painful, precise punches,

    willingly wronging you without worry.

    Did a part of this piece hit you, linger a little longer, or spark a line of your own? Leave a comment with the feeling that stayed the longest/hit the hardest/ came out of the blue, or the thought it created. No need to explain your pain to engage with this work. Presence is enough. All commenters interactions welcomed and appreciated.

    Poet’s Note

    This poem was written in response to witnessing the ongoing cycle of relationship abuse and the silence that so often surrounds it.

    Abuse does not always happen behind closed doors, and it does not always stop when there are witnesses. What stays with me is not just the violence itself, but the way people look away, rationalize, or convince themselves it is not their place to intervene.

    The phrase “purposeful pain” matters here. Abuse is not accidental. It is not a misunderstanding. It is a choice made repeatedly, reinforced by control, fear, and isolation. This poem speaks directly to the myth that love can coexist with intentional harm. It cannot. Or that staying leads to the abuse stopping. It doesn’t. Love does not require endurance of violence to prove loyalty. Love does not demand silence to survive.

    Writing this was not about offering solutions or advice. It was about naming the danger plainly, without euphemism, and refusing to soften what is already too often minimized.

    Pain on Purpose is a reminder, to anyone who needs it, that harm disguised as love is still harm. Survival should never require shrinking, hiding, or accepting violence as the cost of connection. Poetry cannot stop abuse on its own, but it can tell the truth out loud, and sometimes that truth is the first crack in the wall.

    If you know someone who creates work that calls out abuse, enjoys work that speaks support to those who feel weak, or needs to be held by words that refuse to lie, please share this poem with them. Let it move where it needs to move.

    Hey, One Last Thing Before You Go..

    If you love poetry that calls out many forms of abuse. For example highlighting victims of political, intimate, financial, emotional, economic, and other forms of abuse in uplifting and resourceful ways. Or if you love supporting honest, independent publishing, please consider donating to help sustain our penned pain, pleasure, peace, positivity, and publishing projects.

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  • Ben Shapiro. Loud, wrong, and a misogynist

    Ben Shapiro. Loud, wrong, and a misogynist

    Ben Shapiro is a figure known for his aggressive debating style and political commentary. However, beneath the loud persona lies a consistent pattern of misogyny that permeates much of his public discourse. His treatment of women is not simply a matter of ideological difference. But it is a devaluation of their lived experiences, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and dismissing genuine social struggles.

    One glaring example is his reaction to Cardi B’s 2019 song “WAP.” Instead of engaging with the cultural impact or significance of the song. Benny chose to mock female sexuality, expressing confusion over basic female anatomy by suggesting that natural bodily responses were signs of illness. This public display of ignorance was not just embarrassing; it reflected a deeper discomfort with women’s autonomy over their own bodies.And to that I say, “Sorry you never got your wife’s pussy wet, Benny boy.”

    Beyond isolated incidents, Shapiro routinely diminishes feminist concerns, framing issues like the gender wage gap, domestic violence, and reproductive rights as emotional exaggerations. In his narratives, women’s experiences are often reduced to tools for debate rather than reflections of systemic inequities. When discussing abortion, Shapiro approaches the topic with philosophical hypotheticals, sidestepping the urgent realities faced by pregnant individuals lacking access to healthcare. His logic-driven rhetoric is a guise that masks the real human cost of policies affecting women’s rights.

    This pattern of rhetoric does more than provoke controversy, it contributes to a social climate where women’s voices are delegitimized and their struggles trivialized. By positioning himself as “too logical” for feminist discourse, Shapiro reinforces a toxic environment that blames emotion rather than addressing entrenched sexism.

    Understanding Shapiro’s misogyny is essential for recognizing how media figures shape public perception and normalize disrespect towards women. His words have consequences, contributing to broader cultural issues of the gender inequalities women face.

    Here we document and provide space for those targeted by voices like Shapiro’s to share their truths and challenge the narratives that silence or diminish them.