Depths of Domestic Violence

When immersed in the horror of domestic violence, you either give up and die inside or you remove yourself and live in your imagination.

Nobody believes that it will happen to them – but it does – and it is real. It does not discriminate; it seeps over the threshold of every class, religion and gender. Abusers are clever; they relieve you of friends first, then family, until you have only them left. They tell you it is all in your head – that you are crazy and that you need help. They know your insecurities and this becomes their playground and you their play toy. An abuser does not care if you are sad, they do not care if you are broken and they have no interest in anything but total domination. You cannot fix them, you can never love them enough. You just have to leave.

Sara Dzydzan was born in Meriden, England in 1971. She trained as a teacher after having children early but was always interested in poetry. Her interest in poetry grew after suffering domestic abuse during her marriage and she used it as a release. After her husband was jailed, Sara moved with her family to Spain where she lived for two years.

On her return to England in 2006, Sara continued her teaching career and began working on this collection of poems. The intention was never to be published; it was just a hobby, however, with the rise of domestic violence due to the Corona virus pandemic, she felt that she had to share her story.