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I feel his hands around my neck

His fingers tightly press

He loves his power as I lapse

Into unconsciousness

Ever since he strangled me

I’ve found it hard to breathe

My eyes are red, I can’t think straight

My headaches won’t relieve.

A clot near killed a friend of mine

They found her on the floor

Her boyfriend partly strangled her

About three days before

There are some things should never be

Around a person’s neck

My lover’s hands don’t convey love

They’ve left me as a wreck

Bruises on my skin - Places you can’t see

Oh my God Is all this really happening to me

Everybody says “He’s a lovely guy “

But he wears a different face as soon as he’s inside.

Where are all my friends - They’ve all gone away

Can you blame them with the lies I make up every day

I wish they could see Behind the mask I wear

Where I thought was love I can’t admit there’s nothing there

Stupid hopeless cow - Worthless and ugly

Different from the loving words he used to say to me

Once I felt so free Now I live in fear

All my dreams have turned to nightmares -hope into despair

Nothing that I do Seems to satisfy

He keeps saying it’s my fault I can’t remember why

Heaven knows I’ve tried Still I live in dread

Lately he’s been saying that he wishes I was dead.

What am I to do?  What will come of me

When he puts his hands around my neck it’s hard to breathe

God I’m so afraid I can’t help but cry

Am I doomed to live like this until the day I die.?

Have you seen Red Benches around Have you wondered what they mean

They tell us sadly where once was love Now how many murders there’d been.

Each Red Bench recalls the curse Of the suffering and the violence

That stalks our homes and tears apart lives While it hides in terror and silence

Don’t you know that evil survives When good people don’t get involved

The murders and many suicides Are the problems we need to solve

Each Red Bench helps us to have hope That these murders and suicides

Don’t need to happen, Endings Can Change! Violent acts must be put aside.

Change The Endings – there is no need For destruction in your lives

Don’t act in anger – don’t destroy life Change the ending –let hope survive.

Daddy’s yelling once again, I am frightened

Daddy’s breaking stuff again, I’m so frightened

Mummy’s crying once again, don’t cry mummy

Mummy can’t get up again, don’t cry mummy

Daddy please you’re hurting me, please don’t hit me

Please don’t hit me daddy I’ll be good, I’m so sorry

Daddy’s angry once again, using bad words

Daddy’s screaming out again, they’re such bad words

Daddy please you’re hurting me, please don’t hit me

Please don’t hit me daddy I’ll be good, I’m so sorry!

Daddy pushed mum on the floor, we’re  both crying

Daddy kicked mum on the floor, can’t stop crying

Mummy’s lying on the floor, I can’t wake her

Mummy’s lying on the floor, please help mummy

Daddy please you’re hurting me, please don’t hit me

Please don’t hit me daddy I’ll be good I’m so sorry

Daddy please you’re hurting me, please don’t hit me

Please please daddy I’ll be good, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. I am sorry

Police are knocking on the door please help mummy

Daddy’s crying on the floor can’t stop crying

Have you seen Red Benches around Have you wondered what they mean

They tell us sadly where once was love Now how many murders there’d been.

Each Red Bench recalls the curse Of the suffering and the violence

That stalks our homes and tears apart lives While it hides in terror and silence

Don’t you know that evil survives When good people don’t get involved

The murders and many suicides Are the problems we need to solve

Each Red Bench helps us to have hope That these murders and suicides

Don’t need to happen, Endings Can Change! Violent acts must be put aside.

Change The Endings – there is no need For destruction in your lives

Don’t act in anger – don’t destroy life Change the ending –let hope survive.

Every 4 days here in Australia

A woman’s murdered at the hands

Of one whose been their intimate partner

But where love was – now violence stands

How do we change the ending

How do we save women’s lives

So many times men are the Killers

If nothing’s done this violence thrives

Men of Goodwill must work together

When nothing’s done this violence thrives

How many women here in Australia

Live lives of  fear and of despair

Not knowing how their partners will treat them

Not knowing safety anywhere

Men of goodwill here in Australia

Must work to make this violence cease

Our sisters lives must be defended

That all can live their lives in peace

Every four days we hear the sad news.

Another woman’s murdered in partner abuse

Once they were lovers but now she is dead

Murdered by the man who used to share her bed

How do we make this violence end

How to stop men murdering their once best friend

Come together, people discuss the ways that we can banish partner violence from our community

Many people search for the love of their life.

Dreaming they’ll be happy as husband and wife

But for many women, this dream is snatched away

Life becomes a nightmare for them every day

Many women try to escape from this curse

Fearing for their lives as the violence gets worse

But their greatest fear is that one day he’ll be there

And nothing that they do can take away this despair.

So many women feel alone, Controlled by one so close
Their daily goal - avoid the wrath of one they love the most

So many women feel despair, afraid of one so close
Instead of love they live in fear of one they loved the most

So many women lose their lives, they’re killed by one so close
They’re cruelly murdered at the hands of one they loved the most

How can this violence still exist, there’s something must be done
How can we fight this hidden curse - It’s up to everyone

So many women crying out, “For God’s sake help us please”
“For God’s sake make this nightmare end that we can live in peace”

Now have you seen a Red Bench around they’ve been popping up in parks and streets

Just sitting there all by themselves inviting you to come have a seat

On the bench there is a plaque and as you read it in silence

It says “Let’s change the ending, Let’s stop Domestic Violence”

The Red Bench in these public areas aims to help the community

To be aware of the curse of violence that’s happening in many families

Come! Come! Let’s come together and start a new conversation

Family violence is a curse and it’s happening across the nation.

So many deaths by Family violence are thought to be preventable

The tragic outcomes for so many do not have to be inevitable.

Let’s come together around the Red Bench and dare to imagine

How a society without  this violence can start to be fashioned

Red Benches are silent sentinels that call us to remember

That we can change the ending for so many when we work together

Come! Come! Let’s come together and start a new conversation

Let’s change the ending for many sufferers across the nation.

She lies upon the floor without the strength to raise her head

Her body racked with pain her face a mess from tears she’s shed

Remembering his anger she just wishes she was dead

She can’t keep going on

Chorus:
How much longer can she take the pain

How much longer must she feel the shame

How much longer till she’s bruised again

She can’t keep going on.

She doesn’t tell her friends about his smothering control

She makes up weak excuses to protect her empty soul

And trying to survive this mess her lonely hopeless goal

She can’t keep going on

Now finally she’s left him but she’s lonely and afraid

Those useless bits of paper leave her fragile and dismayed

For nothing will deter him from his vengeful mad crusade.

She can’t keep going on.

He killed my daughter, he broke my heart

He took away my joy

Lost in my grief I yearn for her face

I yearn for you my love

What did you think gave you the right

To take my daughter’s life

Now every day I reach for her

Lost in my tears and strife

She should have lived motherhood’s pride

Sharing her Ziggy’s joy

More kids for her, grandies for me

Dreams that his hands destroyed

There are too many others like me

Grieving our daughter’s lives

When will these mad murderers stop

Killing their friends and wives

Please don’t forget my lovely girl, Keep her alive for me

Whisper her name, remember her smile, Cherish her Memory

Whisper her name, Bianca my girl, Loved for eternity

He tells me I must answer the phone straight away

He tells me to stay near the phone all day

He tells me I’m lucky that he’s married to me

He tells me no one else would put up with me

That’s what ye tells me, yes

That’s what ye tells me,

He tells me no one else could bear to put up with me

He tells me not to spend so much money each day

He tells me he will take my money away

He tells me to be grateful that he’s working so hard

He said I need a lesson so he took my cards

That’s what ye tells me, yes

That’s what ye tells me,

He said I need a lesson so he took my credit cards away

He tells me he is sick of my family

He tells me I must tell them not to visit me

He said that he was sick of my meddling friends

He tells me I must tell them that our friendship ends

That’s what ye tells me, yes

That’s what ye tells me,

He said that I must tell them I no longer want to be their friends

He tells me I’m a loser and a hopeless prick

He tells me that I’m ugly and thick as a brick

He tells me no one else could bear to live with me

He tells me he is sick of putting up with me

That’s what ye tells me, yes

That’s what ye tells me,

He asks me why I’m still here and he’s sick of putting up with me

He said he had to teach me a lesson last night

He put his hands around my neck and squeezed them tight

He told me when I woke up he took pity on me

He told me it was all my fault most certainly

That’s what ye tells me, yes

That’s what ye tells me,

He told me it was my fault and next time would be the end of me

They heard the arguments, they heard the angry voices raised

They heard the insults, bitterness, the doors slammed in a rage

They heard the threats and they both hoped the problems would be solved

They closed the windows as they didn’t want to be involved.

They didn’t want to get involved, So They didn’t get involved

They saw the police cars parked outside, it was a common sight

They didn’t want to interfere it wouldn’t be polite

She knocked upon their door one night, they sat inside in fear

She finally waked away - they didn’t want to interfere.

They heard the children crying, they both woke up from their dreams

They heard his crazed demands and then they heard the mother’s screams

They thought that they saw something was on fire against the fence

There was no way to give her help they both said in defence.

How fearful many women are of one whose love they shared

How desperate for someone reassuring that they cared

They need an open door sometimes to help them stay alive

They and their children need your help if they hope to survive

They didn’t want to get involved, So They didn’t get involved

And they wished they’d got involved. ‘Cause no one got involved

We get along, it seems OK.  Things are all right for another day

But like before he begins to yell, I’m heading towards another hell

A push a shove, he’s rude and curt. The insults sting, his tight grips hurt

He’s coiling up just like a spring. I’m worried what today will bring.

I tell my friends I tripped and fell. I’m living in this silent hell.

He brings me flowers, he’s soft and kind. I think I might have lost my mind.

We get along, it seems okay. Things are all right for another day

But I know I’ve been here before. I don’t think I can take much more.

Family violence is a curse in our community

Eroding the foundations of our fine society

So many suffering people struggling, yearning to be free

We must keep striving on

Chorus: Don’t accept that nothing’s going to change

There’s no problem that’s beyond our range

Do not label us perverse and strange

We must keep striving on

The souls of countless victims stand in front of you and me

Their silent plea is deafening for all who hear and see

“Don’t let our lives be lost in vain” - their endless entreaty

We must keep striving on

So many victims need our help to just survive the day

And perpetrators need to learn there is another way

So everybody come on board this quest without delay

We must keep striving on.

As he kicks her on the floor

She lacks the strength to walk out the door

Somehow she again has made him mad

At first the joy was there

Now its turned into despair

Its so lonely when you’re battered, bruised and sad

How long the pain and constant fears

How long this life of shame, sorrow, tears

As blood dries on her face

And her soul feels dark disgrace

Its so lonely when your hope just disappears

With her smile not really true

and eyes that look somewhere past you

Lying to protect her empty soul

While her sleeves conceal the bruise

And her shallow lame excuse

Trapped and lonely, just surviving is her goal

Now she’s left but he’s out there

She knows there’ll be sometime, somewhere

Nothing will prevent his dark crusade

It’s as certain as the sun,

He will prove that he has won

It’s so lonely when you’re helpless and afraid

Some people ask me - why don’t I leave home?

They often say I’d be better alone!

In the past he has hurt me, threatened he would desert me

And you know then where I’d be – all on my own!

I’d be so fearful of his certain assault

I’d be ashamed – It would all be my fault

And you know, he’s told me that I’d be so useless I could never cope at all!

I’m hopeless – That’s why I’m still home!

Some people ask me – Why don’t we leave home?

They often say we’d be best on our own

But I wanted our children to have both parents love them

You know kids need a father – so I tried to be strong!

And when he hit me, and pushed me around

At least the children were all safe and sound.

If I left, and something happened to me then how would the children cope at all?

They’re helpless – That’s why were still home.

Some people ask me, why don’t we leave home?

They often say, we’d be best on our own

But you know that financially he has always controlled me

I have nothing behind me – he owns it all

How would I pay - for rent and for food

And if I begged him he’d just laugh and be rude.

So tell me – where would we get the money to afford to live all on our own?

He owns me – That’s why I’m still home.

Some people ask me, why don’t we leave home?

They often say, we’d be best on our own

But he often has threatened that if I ever left him

He would kill all our children and then kill me

Those courtroom papers won’t stop a crazed man

He’d just keep searching again and again

And each day – I’d be looking o’er my shoulder till one day he would be there

And kill us – That’s why we’re still home.