All In A Night's Work

This was for the 'Off The Ledge' Competition

You started shouting
At the top of your voice,
I was shouting back
Letting a lot out.
I didn’t actually know
What started it all,
Or even what the issue was
That we were arguing about.

You didn’t seem to be
Making much sense,
But I continued to get
My point across anyway.
You then began to swing
Both your arms around,
Aiming at me in madness
While I tried to get out of the way.

I cried and tried to tell you
That it’s not that important,
But you lashed out still
And kept your fist coming.
That fist it got me again
And again and again,
I slowly blacked out
And all my feeling was numbing.

You settled down and had such a sound sleep.

You woke up that morning
Next to the woman you love,
You held her tight
‘Good morning’ you say.
As your eyes adjust
You realised the situation,
She was no longer there
Just a battered shell lay.

You panicked and cried
You held her again,
In disbelief and confusion
You were so unsure.
You called for the police
You stayed with her,
Didn’t let her go
Then they knocked at the door.

They did what they do
And carefully took her body,
You sat in a stare
While they asked you some things.
What had happened?
What did you see?
You were laid by her side
You must have seen something.

You were uncertain of it all
You couldn’t do that to her,
You loved her so much
But your knuckles bled.
You were arrested
You were trialled and sentenced,
You sat every night
Picturing her face in your head.

The face you thought
You had ignored that night,
While she took the blows
Until death took her from you.
You never slept soundly again
You will never believe it was you,
They would never realise it was all in your sleep
But it was no dream for either of you.