Clinton Inman’s most recent poem to appear here was The Greatest Hit (July 2013).
Hank
By Clinton Van Inman
I wished I had never met you, Hank.
I wished I had never married you.
I wished to God you had never drank.
I wished our daughter had never come.
I wished you never bruised and battered me.
But Hank, when you harmed our daughter
I had to put that gun to your head.
Sorry Hank, I had to pull the trigger.
And even though they call it manslaughter
And even though I’m still your wife
And even now more certain it is for life,
I’d do it again, you sonofabitch.
Poignant poem: Thank you for sharing it, Clinton
I like the poem, “Hank” and had to wonder how many women resonated with these words. I worked at a place where battered women could call and ask for advice or come in and make a plan for leaving husbands or boyfriends and many were helped. Although it wasn’t recommended that they put a gun to anyone’s head, I had to smile at the end of this poem because I understood how one could feel if a daughter was harmed. Seems it would be the last straw!