The Corset
Entry in the What Comes Back Challenge
Stripped of cape, forced into a corset
a recurring dream
your nightly return
my free-flowing cloak, stylishly worn
drapes not my shoulders
when I see your face
your darkened aura
your strident voice
grating
restricting
compresses my organs
I fight for breath
my diaphragm won't expand
light-headed, dizzy, near fainting
causes sweating
skin chafing
an itch I cannot scratch
your nightly return
your come back
in my recurring dream
irritates my nerves
burning, stabbing pain
triggers memories
abuse
psychological
physical too
you tried to kill me
the knife, your plan
take me out in my sleep
escape, I DID; my body
my psyche remains hostage
still restricted
battles you nightly
this "too small barrel"
doesn't fit
I cannot bend
I cannot twist
I am uncomfortable
continuous wear is weakening me
I must remove it
this corset
but you won't let me
your nightly return
your come back
in my recurring dream
disrobes a cape
one I tried hard to claim
I must free myself
fight, I do; it hurts like hell
there is no freedom
in these chains
bruising
indentations deeper than skin surface
this rigid posture isn't me
you want me to stand at attention
you want me to suffer
but I must escape this trauma
I can't move
I can't remove these chords
when you are always the Sandman
coming back in the night
to haunt me
to control me
tightening this cage
whispering, "Karma"
~
Author's note: My poem reflects actual personal dreams, recurring ones, often the nightly return of my abusive ex. Once upon a time, he bantered on about "karma," but I knew the truth: it was a sick psychological game. Trauma recovery has taken years and is still ongoing.
About the Creator
Marilyn Glover
Poet and editor, writing to uplift humanity; working on her debut poetry collection to be released in 2026.
British American dual citizen living in the States. Mother of four, grandmother of two.
Owner of The Quiet Collective
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Compelling and original writing
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More stories from Marilyn Glover and writers in Poets and other communities.
Incredibooks: The Masked Duet Series
So my best friend who loves the crazy world of reverse harem books put me on to this author named Reese Rivers and a two part book series she put together called the “Masked Duet”. The series is made up of two stories titled “Dance Butterfly Dance” and “Burn Butterfly Burn”.
By Joe Patterson4 days ago in BookClub
Comments (4)
Yup, had a feeling the afterword would reveal the ex. What an evil entity. Love the image, love the cascading, brooding spiral down into your vulnerable depths. This is possibly the best poem you’ve written IMO. The corset analogy is a psychological chef’s kiss.
Phenomenal writing! Stunning delivery! I'm happy that you got away and are thriving now, Marilyn.
This is so raw. I hate that it comes from a place of personal abuse but wow, Marilyn. A magnificent piece of art.
You give voice to all those women subjected to wearing these things. I felt your words as they cascaded into a final crescendo. Thank you for reading my story this morning, but I deleted it to submit something closer to how I really felt and what actually happened. I guess sometimes we have to do that, yes? Again