No-man Iris Murdoch Cut Me Up
She was awoken by the stinging feel of his fists pounding against her naked back.
She turned to look at him, but before she could say anything
he smashed the base of her jaw with his elbow.
In the confusion of pain and flailing hands that followed,
she was barely aware of the sound of splintering teeth
rattling in the bloody agony of her broken mouth.
He pushed her out of the bed and onto the floor.
Her head hit off the bedside table,
bringing the lamp down upon her shoulder.
He stood above her as she lay in the mess of bedsheets and broken glass and blood.
He stood above her and stared at her startled face,
which was swollen and black with bruising and wet with sudden tears.
He bent down slowly, kneeled beside her, and lay down parallel with her body.
He pushed strands of hair back from the side of her face,
pulled his torso up with his arm and leaned towards her.
He placed his lips against her ear.
He whispered "You shouldn't have said that."
