PORTSMOUTH � She has a broken nose and scar tissue on her kidneys that serve as a permanent reminder of her marriage, but Cynthia Guyette still considers herself a lucky woman.

"I�m at a point now where I can speak openly about the abuses I endured. It took me 4� years to get to this stage, but I eventually realized that with the right help, you can walk away."

Guyette was one of several women gathered at A Safe Place on Tuesday night to participate in a T-shirt-making session in preparation for the New Hampshire Clothesline Project, sponsored by A Safe Place and The Americorps Victim Assistance Program.

Now in its sixth year, the project allows individuals affected by domestic or sexual violence to make their voices heard by designing a T-shirt with a message that illustrates their individual experiences.

When designing the shirt, each person chooses a color code symbolic of their past.

Yellow shirts represent women who have been battered or assaulted; red, pink, or orange are for women survivors of incest or child sexual abuse; purple or lavender are for women who have been attacked because of their sexual orientation; and gray for men who are victims of domestic or sexual violence.

Guyette, who had just finished designing a shirt that read "Be free. Break the chains of violence," spoke in a calm, matter-of-fact tone as she described the horror of being abused on a daily basis.

"I believe in my marriage vows, but I thought that �until death do us part� had a specific meaning for me, because I felt sure my ex-husband was going to kill me.

"I remember an incident in 1998 when he went into a rage and bit me so hard on the chest, it took two friends of mine to unclench his teeth. In relationships like this, you�re afraid to stay, but at the same time you�re afraid to go. That�s what I mean about �breaking the chain,� when you�re finally free.

"I�m not as afraid as I used to be, and I�m not afraid to speak up about what happened. The more people who become aware of the problems with domestic violence, the easier it can be stopped," she said.

Emily (not her real name) recalled the time her husband tried to shoot her with a .38-caliber revolver, only to wind up tripping and shooting himself.

"That incident gave me the window of opportunity to get away, but I remember sitting in the emergency room crying my eyes out when they told me he was still alive.

"When I finally made my move, I had three kids and my niece with me. It was extremely hard, but when I called A Safe Place and told them about my situation, they were able to give me help.