bandits hissed at me and growled
flashed screw-faces, numbed with scowls
pushed and shouted, yanked to tear
vicious handfuls of my hair
punched through walls and punched my face
pulled their knives, their guns, their mace
kicked, beat, shoved me to the floor
i lived through all this and more
ground their teeth, abused, and cursed
robbed my wallet, jacked my purse
made me bleed with two black eyes
gave their fear a good disguise
forced me one or ten to fight
proved their “courage” and their “might”
spat and clawed and tried to bite
i’m almost out of space to write
dominated, petrified
raged, detested, crucified
and in the end, began to whine
that’s when i told them
peace is mine
