Poetry By Skylar Camp

Nic McPhee CC




My Comment History as a Woman Who Was Abused and 
Can’t Stop Herself From Telling Other Women They Deserve Better


He’s an asshole
He’s abusive
You’re being abused
You don’t deserve it
Divorce him
Leave him

You shouldn’t have to ask him to be nice to you
You shouldn’t have to tiptoe around his temper
It’s not normal to be screamed at
It’s not normal to be called names
He should be your partner not your third child
He should be your lover not your rapist

Don’t stay with him for the kids
Don’t let your kids think this is normal
Life without him will be hard
Life without him will be so much better
You deserve kindness, safety, peace, happiness
You deserve to be loved 
                                   in 
                                   a 
                                   way 
                                   that 
                                   doesn’t 
                                   hurt

​




Sometimes 


Sometimes
I think about the 
male lawyer who 
told me I should
stay married to an                                     Sometimes
abusive man because                               I think about the 
if I left I would be                                       male pastor who
poor.                                                                 taught me my body
                                                                           was a piece of gum
The bills are                                                    that no one would 
late and the tires are                                    want if it had been
bald but no one yells                                    chewed.
at me anymore and 
I would rather starve                                    I have been 
than live with him for                                   tasted, bitten, shared  
another goddamn                                         and I am loved with 
second.                                                            deep gentle love that 
                                                                            changed every idea I 
Sometimes                                                     had of what love can 
I think about the                                          be, love so good it 
male landlord who                                      hurts.
found out I’m 
divorced and said                                        Sometimes 
he’d let me know if he                                I think about how
couldn’t find anyone                                   angry I am at men
else.                                                                    in general, at those 
                                                                             men in particular, how 
The landlord                                                    angry I am about
who took me is an                                          the way the world
ass but this cheap                                          works.
apartment with its 
leaky roof and nearby                                   I demanded 
gunshots is the safest                                    autonomy, freed 
place I have lived in                                       myself from shitty 
years.                                                                 men with shitty love 
                                                                             to give and now I 
                                                                             only drink the reddest 
                                                                             and sweetest of
                                                                             love.





Skylar Camp (she/her) lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her two kids, her partner, and their fuzzy kitty. Her writing focuses on religious trauma, divorce, polyamory, queerness, parenting, and more. Her work appears in The Broadkill Review, JAKE, and is forthcoming in Queerlings. Find her at skylarcamp.com.