Broken

The brave face is a charade.
Quick step with resolve.
Dark sunglasses, tight jaw.
Not waiting for the change at the checkout.
Shaking hands, and trembling lip.
Three inches deep,
Instant coffee shaken into her cup.
And a packet of cigarettes,
Burnt into smoke rings,
Go up her nose.

He has broken her.

On dogs and some men.

My new dog cowers.
He has submit written on his forehead.
Even my Mini-Foxy can have him retreating,
Head and ears down,
Crouched,
Tail held stiffly between his legs.

He is my new dog,
Because his owners,
Lovers of many dogs,
Knew that he was bottom of the pack.
The alpha male,
A tall border collie was his constant torment.
He as a young entire male,
Would not have any place in this pack.

The law of the jungle,
Use violence to maintain power.
But we humans are not dogs,
We can make better choices,
More 'humane' choices.

My friend has a broken heart.
A broken spirit,
And her beautiful face is broken too.
In the pack,
At the party,
She found herself excluded.
She upset the alpha male,
Her boyfriend.
So his pack set on her.
Beat her and left her unconscious,
On a suburban street.

Same law of the bully,
Just a different jungle.