Why Stay Poem– The Painful Trap of Domestic Abuse
- Deborah Ann Martin
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 12
When You Feel Stuck But Want to Survive
Today in My Poetry Corner, I’m sharing a poem written from empathy, heartbreak, and hope. Why Stay is inspired by a woman I never met, but whose tragic story touched me through a friend. She stayed with an abusive partner until it was too late, and lost her life.
This poem is for anyone who feels trapped, and for the friends who try to help but feel powerless. Sometimes we don’t know what to do. Sometimes there is nothing we can do — except to listen, and keep showing up.
I dedicate this poem to my friend who carried the grief and guilt of losing someone close to domestic violence. If Why Stay can help even one person leave, or help a friend understand, then these words have meaning.
Why Stay
Peggy thought she was marrying the perfect man.
Until the day he raised his hand.
He said she was to blame.
She thought about it, “Well, maybe I am.
If only she did as he would say
Their home would be happy from day to day.”
Nothing happened as weeks passed.
Anger overtook him, and he put her in a cast.
“He was mad and didn’t mean to push so hard.”
That is what she told a friend in her yard.
Her friend would say, “Why stay?”
She replied, “I make him that way.”
“You should see him; he’s as happy as can be.
It’s only when I do wrong that he will hit me.
He tells me all the time. He loves me.
When he’s happy, he’s a good man, you see.”
Pregnant with their first child,
Those days were happy and worthwhile.
Everything seemed to change after having the baby.
Life was normal, well, just maybe.
Stresses in his world came crashing in.
The torment and beatings were about to begin.
She tried to run, but she couldn't get away.
He seemed to find the places she would stay.
She had no income to make a living.
She had no choice but to take what he was giving.
He threatened to take the child and take her life.
She knew she had to stay his wife.
Hopeless, with no control, frustrated, and with low self-esteem,
Dependence, helplessness, or fear wasn’t her dream.
However, those were the reasons why she would stay,
And dream of a better life one day.
BUT After reading about a woman who was beaten to death
She took a deep breath
She found hope by calling a shelter on the phone
For a new beginning for her child, she left him alone.
From Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups
Part of the Life Moments Series
© 2025 Deborah Ann Martin. All rights reserved.
Reflection on My Why Stay Poem
I wrote Why Stay after my friend came to work day after day, deeply traumatized by the loss of her close friend.
Her friend was being abused, and even though they talked about it, she never left. The call came one day ... the kind you never want to get. He had killed her.
My friend felt guilty, helpless, angry, and deeply sad.
All I could do was offer her a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear.
Through this poem, I wanted to help someone else, a person stuck in an abusive relationship, or a friend who watches, worries, and is afraid.
If this poem can give even one person the courage to make a call or walk away, then my words have done their job.
The Style Behind the Words
Poetry Style Name: Narrative Rhymed Verse
Structure and Form: 4-line stanzas, storytelling style
Meter: Conversational, with a steady flow like a true story
Rhyme and Rhyme Scheme: Mixed rhymes (AABB in places, looser elsewhere to match the narrative)
Sound and Rhythm: Emotional, spoken like a conversation
Poetic Devices:
Repetition of Questions: “Why stay?” — highlights the disbelief and confusion
Imagery: Cast, bruises, shelter — realistic details
Tone: Honest, raw, courageous
Theme: Domestic violence, survival, courage, hope
Explore More Love and Heartache Moments
If Why Stay Poem resonated with you, you’ll find more poems about love, heartbreak, and hope in Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups.
This collection is a place for those learning to heal and rebuild after deep wounds.
About the Life Moments Series
My Life Moments Series gives voice to real struggles, real triumphs, and real healing.
Explore Love and Heartache Moments, Loving Moments, and Kid Moments — poetry for every journey.
References
Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups, Deborah Ann Martin, 2025.
Deborah Ann Martin Amazon Author Central Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/deborahamartin
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