Le Voyage Magnifique

Better Days

She woke last night
beneath warm quilts in a strange flat.
She woke last night
and soon remembered frantic flight,
escaping from the drunken rat.
Her mom’s relief spilled out so that
she woke last night.

The sounds of pain
still echoed in her tender ears--
the sounds of pain
announcing fury’s harsh refrain
because he’d had too many beers.
Her mom endured, through all those years,
the sounds of pain.

They’re free at last.
Away from that destructive life,
they’re free at last.
The bloodied lips are in the past.
They’re free to live without the strife.
He’ll have to find another wife.
They’re free at last!

      

Author’s note: For those not familiar with the Rondelet form of poetry, a definition and more examples can be found at the following links:
http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/forums/topic/1382-rondeau-family-of-forms-includ...
http://members.optushome.com.au/kazoom/poetry/rondelet.html