*Warning: Graphic Material*
Kings belong on pedestals
and you – my dear – were born to worship my genitals.
There is no world beyond my testicles,
that’s why your body is built with semen receptacles.
Your flesh belongs to me, bitch.
I’ll choke you if ‘privacy’ is a suggestion.
When I snap my fingers,
be a good girl and bend over for an inspection
like a carcass sprawled out for a dissection.
You consenting is a laughable question!
I will override your directions
whenever I get an erection.
And you’ll deserve it,
because the eye contact you gave to the person
working the cash register was flirting.
Why would he want … you?
Ha! You are ugly and worthless.
I am the only man who will ever love you
and that is for certain.
This is my house, my landscape.
But you show gratitude by
… cooking raggedy pancakes,
never dusting the lampshades,
and letting your ugly children
make a mess on the staircase?!
When I ask who pays the bills,
I never see your hand raised –
so straighten your fucking act up
or I’ll go on a rampage
that’ll have you needing a lot more
than a couple of band-aids.
Your kids have a home here
but that fact can change.
Your choice.
By Darryl Walker Jr
(c) Copyright 2016-2017
#StopDomesticViolence
Prompt: Tempted
Zone of Non-being 
October 23, 2016 at 2:48 pm
Very synonymous with another blogger I follow by the name of Mariewilliams53. We were talking about sex and consent on her last blog and I told her my great grandma mother used to say “the rise of a dick is a dangerous thing.” Here is the link here:
https://mariewilliams53.wordpress.com/2016/10/20/sex-ties-and-which-road-do-i-take/#comments
This was a very telling, provocative, graphic piece and I would love to hear a part 2. Is there revenge? Or is the poor victim suffering from Stockholm Syndrome? Who knows, right?
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October 23, 2016 at 2:58 pm
Thanks Tareau for the feedback. I was wondering if this piece would go over well or not. I don’t think poetry is all about smiles and making people feel good – it can also make them feel angry or disgusted. After reading the piece by Marie, I have decided to add a “graphic material” warning (as she does) at the beginning of the piece. Thanks for the link to her work!
Your grandmother is spot on with that statement. I read a book by Andrea Dworkin a while back called “Intercourse” and she argued that men are impotent in the face of equality – that the only way men can get erect is if women are treated as objects. Can there be sex without objectification? That is a question I am trying to explore here – but I fear I already know the answer.
Thanks for the suggestion to a follow up. That is a wonderful idea!
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October 23, 2016 at 3:57 pm
Spot on. Poetry is the ultimate express of emotions. It’s supposed to be real. You should never write something and worry about the response with poetry. It reflects on humans and our range of emotions. Yes Marie is a great writer and she always leaves my mind guessing on things which is awesome. My great grandma is from Louisiana and they had all kind of sayings like that in the south. Sex in my opinion, is too easy to get. The accessability of sex, diminishes its passion. There can be sex without objectification. That lies within the individuals. Look in the animal kingdom, you have to prove yourself worthy to get sex. Whether it’s dancing, killing, fighting, growling, providing, marking your scent, showmanship, etc. Are we that different as humans? Problem is, animals are looking to reproduce, we most of the time are not. How many accidental babies are there today? (Lmfao I am one myself) I will check out that book you suggested but it will takentime. I have a huge back log of books to read. I wish I could freeze time for like 2 hours and knock a book out.
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October 23, 2016 at 4:32 pm
What a very interesting and well-written post/poem. I’d love to know your frame of mind when you wrote this and what was going on for you at the time. Most poems are written by poets when they have been deeply affected or impacted by a situation which they want to process and make sense of. I think that the way that you have not held back and the (crude) words that you use are also a reflection of the way non-consensual sex can appear to be, not only to the person who is gratifying himself but to the person who is being violated. Rape and sexual abuse are not pretty subjects. They are unpalatable. The fact that you have not made any attempt to soften (no pun intended) this in order to appeal to your audience is both powerful and sensitive at the same time. It reflects your sensitivity towards domestic violence and at the same time shows how powerful the perpetrator of a violent act believes himself to be.
I hope you don’t mind me mentioning Tareau’s PR role in all of this. I have just thanked him for publicising my work and have agreed to pay him 1 British Pound for his endeavours. I am sure you would agree with me that this is more than generous on my part? LOL
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October 23, 2016 at 4:42 pm
Lol @ paying Tareau! Hey, we are a community of bloggers. I think he has set a wonderful precedent here. We should be publically acknowledging each other’s work – as this is about cooperation, not competition. The socialist in me appreciates this. I know there are widgets we can have on our pages that tell new readers who we recommend. This is something we should consider doing, in the interest of solidarity!
Thank you for reading and commenting, Marie. I love your perspective. I have, unfortunately, witnessed this dynamic first hand with my parents. So I am responding to that, and also attempting to exorcise myself of those same demons. I believe we have to be upfront about this – as domestic violence is often brutal, so we have to be brutally honest as well.
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October 23, 2016 at 5:03 pm
I stand in solidarity with you my friend. I too was not only a battered and sexually abused child/young woman, but witnessed my mother and brother being battered. It has left deep wounds and scars mentally and physically. Years after the abuse I started suffering anxiety unaware that this was a result of PTSD. You grow up thinking there is something wrong with you when you grow up in an environment like this. No one tells you that domestic violence is responsible for so much of the mental health issues that are a product of this on women and children. I too write to exorcise demons and heal wounds. I write to uplift and inspire and give others hope. I want others to know that there is life after abuse. ” We have to be brutally honest” – I like that Darryl.
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October 23, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Thank you for your support, and thank you for being brave enough to express such raw emotion in your work. You are absolutely right: rape culture goes hand and hand with victim blaming. And it rears its ugly head in all sorts of mental illness that fly beneath the radar for years. There is a war on women: more women die at the hands of a domestic abuser than soldiers die in Iraq and Afghanistan. And police officers are sworn to protect everyone – but police officers have some of the highest rates of spousal abuse. So who do women go to? Especially poor women of color …
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October 23, 2016 at 5:54 pm
Thank you too Darryl. Sometimes it’s scary to admit what happened to you because a lot of people don’t want to know. They figure they have their own cr*p to deal with, they don’t need yours too.
It’s so unusual for men to actually grapple with and talk about emotional issues. Men don’t cry, right? It’s great to see brave young men like yourself, talking about “stuff”. I applaud you.
And as for where women go to? Great rhetoric! We talk about equality for women, but there is no equality is there? There never was, but I like to think that there is hope and that the situation will change for the better. I always enjoy talking with you.
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October 23, 2016 at 6:11 pm
Thanks Marie! I am coming around. I am trying to break out of my narrow worldview so as to raise consciousness around topics that are not immediately concerned with me (I also talk about race/class because I am a direct victim, but I tend to leave out sex because then I would have to admit guilt).
Like you, I hope that our situation will improve. All we can do is our best to spark that flame!
Always a joy talking to you as well =)
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October 23, 2016 at 6:14 pm
I know we’re going to chat some more soon. Take care now and continue to be a good boyfriend. 🙂 ps. nobody’s perfect! :))
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October 23, 2016 at 6:16 pm
=) thank you! Take care! Speak soon!
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October 26, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Darryl this is VERY powerful! A sensitive but important subject, and congrats for having the courage to tackle it head on. I agree that poetry is not intended to always be a ‘feel good’ medium. (Obviously I do not — look at the horrific stuff I write haha!) Poetry has a purpose to expose Truth and bring it to the surface so we can examine the issue, and if not eradicate it at least lessen it. If we have personal experience with this violence it is all the more important to write about it.
Maybe your character here should get together with my Jack the Ripper and do penance. With sharks! 🙂
Great job!
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October 26, 2016 at 8:03 pm
Thanks Christine!
I am glad you understand (and exercise) writing for other purposes. I live near one of the best art schools in the country: the RI School of Design. Whenever I get a peak at some of the art students’ canvases, they typically have a painting of a bowl of fruit or something like that. Liven it up and dare to explore your deeper emotions, will ya!? Lol
Lol @ penance with sharks! If there is any cosmic justice, our characters are definitely doomed!
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October 26, 2016 at 9:46 pm
I think a lot about cosmic justice, especially in the animal kingdom lol!
Of course, those students at the RI School may be learning basics or classics — then later they might explore and express more. (Picasso did that!) I love the deep stuff.
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October 26, 2016 at 10:03 pm
I agree. Whenever I see a dead squirrel in the road I daydream about animal revolutions against humans for ruining the planet lol. I love the deep art too – always been amazed by optical illusions in art
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October 27, 2016 at 6:29 am
I’ve been thinking about this one for quite a while.
I see the long standing effects of been raised in household like that. South African culture – the one we don’t publicise – is filled with the untold stories of victims of domestic violence. Then I thought about how even when you “eradicate” it from the household, more often than not, the sons and daughters adopt this behaviour; in their respective roles.
It is in the more African cultures of S.A where it’s socially acceptable to do this. You’re raised with the mentality of “girls, you will serve ALL your man’s needs regardless of what you feel and he is entitled to treat your accordingly. “.
This mentality is the same one where it’s also acceptable for men to take what they want from you and that’s the way things are – no room for arguments.
Even when you go to the police to report such things , the domestic violence or rape, it’s like you can’t get past the brotherhood they share. They’ll dismiss your claims and call your ‘owner’ to come fetch you.
What kills me the most is when I see it in boys that aren’t old enough to even have beards yet, them role playing this, saying lowkey comments like ” I will be the man of the house, the provider, so you’ll do as I say or else”.
I’m way off topic, all I wanted to say was, great thought provoking piece.
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October 27, 2016 at 7:11 am
Lita,
I agree. You have made some great points: it is not just private behavior, it is embedded in our public institutions as well. In America, we are told that the police are there to “protect and serve” the population. But police officers have rates of spousal abuse that are higher than any other segment of the population.
Who do women go to when the people who are supposed to protect them are violating them? Do we need to re-think our notion of safety?
You raise another good point about young boys following this line of thought. Beating women is a rite of passage. Beating women is seen as necessary for the very existence of men. Women are reduced to objects so that men can feel like dominant, confident humans.
Glad I could provoke your thoughts, thanks for the great commentary!
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October 27, 2016 at 6:40 pm
It frightens me the most, the idea that this has become the norm. With no police in sight and justice that needs to be served, what does a society do? To protect themselves, to get justice. Mob brutality and lynching don’t seem like such foreign concepts. Oh the boys, if they can’t escape it then we are doomed to repeat this on a machine cycle.
Though change begins to happen when pieces like this are written, it opens the dialogue.
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October 27, 2016 at 7:57 pm
I agree. We first have to acknowledge the problem before we can change it. Dialogue is a wonderful first step
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October 27, 2016 at 7:51 pm
Sadly, there are men who would miss the sarcasm in this piece. Thank you for your concern over this vital issue.
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October 27, 2016 at 7:58 pm
Very true. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment 😀
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November 5, 2016 at 1:23 pm
Found you via The Daily Post 🙂 Quite the imagination…what a powerful and interesting piece. I have a page of support for domestic violence victims and pets too: https://awarenesshelps.wordpress.com/domestic-violence-pets/ Keep fighting the good fight.
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November 5, 2016 at 3:24 pm
Thank you!
I checked out your site. There is a wealth of information on there. The triangulation of pets into domestic violence relationships is a dynamic I never considered. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Stay strong and keep spreading the word!
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November 5, 2016 at 7:29 pm
Thanks for visiting and following Darryl — and for your kind comments!
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December 5, 2016 at 5:28 pm
That was a deep poem. I am a woman of few words, and this my friend has left me poetically speechless for the moment. Your talent is dope.
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December 5, 2016 at 5:52 pm
I am humbled. Thank you for your kind words – this means alot because you have a sick pen game ✏📖
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