By Zenith Knox
I lie limp in his bed and glare at the portrait of Jesus—His eyes fixed heavenward, all-knowing but turning a blind eye. Beneath The Head of Christ, he places the remote on his nightstand. No more television lights, no more mattress squeaking, no more bodies rocking. Just silence and darkness.
He pulls up his boxers and sits on the edge of the bed, burying his face in his hands.
What happens now? Do I call the police, tell them I didn’t want to? Why would they believe me when there isn’t a bruise on me? And my only witness—Jesus.
So much sadness captured in so few words, both for the narrator and the attacker as he buries his face in his hands.
Thank you for the comment.
Excellent story. So much there yet so much is left to the reader’s imagination to fill in the blanks. Being human is to make mistakes and experience remorse, regret, and the loneliness of the choices we make. Interesting choice to have the portrait of Jesus be the witness. I grew up Catholic and have my own bias around Jesus. I believe in Christian principles but it’s the institution of the church that I don’t relate too. It’s hard to hear the name Jesus or God without thinking of the church. I suppose I’m rambling on. Maybe that’s where the trigger took me. You wrote an excellent story about a difficult subject. Congratulations on getting published.
Thank you for the comments. I had hope the story would resonate with each person in a unique way, depending on their background. Your comments unpacked a lot.
Brutal and beautiful! Not all brutality bludgeons the body… brutality can hide in cold, long whispers.
Beauty is where truth speaks. I was profoundly moved by this poem. Congratulations on getting published!
Thank you! I’m relieved it was more truthful than brutal.
Great story. So well told. The details helped make it real. And the ending was perfect flash.
Well done.
Thank you for the comments. I’d hoped the details would do most of the work.
Wow! Zenith, congratulations on a powerful and intensely honest story! Excellent!
Thanks for the comments. I appreciated it came through that way.
Thought provoking. Well written.
Very visual. Would they believe me when there isn’t a bruise on me? Probably not. Some cuts and bruises scar the soul and not the body.
Thanks for the comments. Very true about the soul.
I believe that painting is less about what you paint in and more about the lines and shapes, the context that holds the image.
In much the same way, you have told a story here which has evoked trauma, dilemma, loss – holding the tension in the unspoken – which, as you have said holds many stories and perspectives.
Thank you.
Thank you for the comments. Paintings have interesting stories to tell.
Very moving. I had to read it 3x’s – each time getting a bit more.
Thank you for the comments. I was hoping there would be a lot to unpack with each read.
So accessible and well-crafted. Honest. Horrific. The ending landed a big punch. Loved the take on WWJD. Well done, Zenith. so appreciate your skill.
Thanks so much for the comment. My hope was for it to leave some kind of impact at the end.
Overwhelmingly sad makes one want to flee.
Overwhelmingly sad makes one want to cry.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Thank you.
Damn! Now THAT is tight writing at its finest! Well done Zenith. An entire scene in one paragraph showing the reader what characters were feeling. Bravo!
Wow! Thanks for the encouraging comments.