The Love I Know

The Love I Know

He pulls me close
and promises to protect
         me
from the world.

He strokes my hair
and tells me that he
loves
      me.

But then in an
       instant
this violent temper takes over
and the man
         I love
disappears behind
an angry monster.

where does he go?

He beats me down
time after time
without a single
            
           hesitation

only an afterthought.

Then he comes to me
with his lip service
      apologies
and begs me to come
back.

 And somehow I
always
limp back
into his open arms,
stupidly,
      maybe

but I always come
back.

Because I like it
when he pulls me
close 
and promises to
protect
        me
 from the world.
When he strokes my hair
and tells me that he

 loves
       me.