Poetry: Damages by James Lilley

Damages

She doesn’t want me to leave but

she doesn’t tell me not to go 

Waiting anxiously, scrolling

through her phone 

Another victory, coming home a

little less than before 

Aiding me up the stairs, the

aches and pain 

Bruises blooming like flowers

across my back 

I shiver when she traces a finger

along the rope burns 

I cant pick up my kids to hold

them close 

Hands swollen beyond

recognition 

Never again I tell her. She smiles. 

We both know this is a lie. But we

pretend until I leave again.

James Lilley is from Swansea, Wales. He is a champion bare-knuckle boxer and a published poet with two collections (The Thousand Ghosts of You by Alien Buddha and The Blue Hour by Uncle B. Publications.) He has had poems published across multiple zines as well as short stories and flash fiction and was named Versifications 2020 Punk of The Year.