Aqcuiescence for absolution

Vengeful eyes watch
Laughing, reaping
Taking in deserved and pointed pains
Secret weaknesses gleaned
He turns the knife on her
Tracing old scars and still bleeding wounds
With learned accuracy
Knowing her fears, her pains
He's watched her unravel
Knows which strings yield deepest consequence
Soft places open and recently bruised
She's prone, a close target, a facile hit
Mere silence her biggest tormentor
A hand cheaply dealt
She imagines victorious smiles
As floors are paced in hushed agony
The rueful mind regrets much
As the dance continues
She clings to fruitless hopes
Waits for retaliation to burn itself out
His need for retribution goes unchallenged
Downcast, she offers herself freely
To quicken the end