Between Us

She was being beaten,
bludgeoned over and over
with his open hands
then with the boxes
he crashed into her face
her shoulders
her arms.

I just happened by,
walking through a Shanghai hutong
talking to vendors
playing with children
taking pictures
and then watching
while he exploded.

She cried
raising her arms
to protect her face
and then he saw me
the single laiwai
among the six witnesses.

The others signaled me
quietly
not to interfere...
I listened
but
would not
could not leave.

Finally he retreated
dismissing her
with a disgusted gesture
his ego satisfied
his anger
I suppose
exhausted.

Now the worst emerged:
she pounded her fists
into her head
crying and screaming
holding a knife
tight against her own throat.

She cut her flesh
through the old scars,
blood oozing,
the keening from her throat
somehow
separate from us both.

Finally
unable to merely watch
I forced the knife from her hand
put it in my pocket
grasped her shoulder
to somehow
share her pain,
her life.

But no,
the chasms of different civilizations
unshared language
unshared culture
prevented us
from sharing even
despair.