Deceit

“I’d like to get you know more,”
he said, pulling up a chair
met with stunned silence

“Truly,” he prodded, “I feel
as if we’ve drifted apart,
and I’ve ignored us.”

I might have said “No kidding”
but hope swelled with his words
and I blurted: “Ask away.”

So he listened,
as he had that first night
when tipsy and enamoured

We’d stumbled home
from the bar, and he
into my bed…and stayed

Seventeen years
three children
and five houses

and now he wanted to know
all about me – my interests
my dreams, my fears

And trout-like, I bit
spilled it all, still believed
in turning points and

riding off together
into the sunset, reunited
by undying love

It all showed up,
twisted of course,
in the court affidavit

material to defeat me
in divorce – discredit
my parenting capabilities

He didn’t succeed, still
wish we’d mingled more
you know – actual dates

before I’d committed
my life to this robotic
man, who never saw me.

(For Eugi’s Weekly Prompt: mingle. Image my own.)

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VJ

Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.

48 thoughts on “Deceit”

  1. I guess I feel lucky. On July 2nd 2021, 2 weeks from now, will be my one year anniversary. This day during the year of the covid, my husband sends me a text message while I am working from home. He kissed me that morning on his way to “work”. Then around 9am I received a text stating he loves me but just not in love anymore. I suppose 18 years together that is all I deserve. Maybe 20 I could have received a face to face. Apparently he already had a girlfriend who updated her relationship status on FB 2 hours after I received my update via text message.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Not me. I am 56 and done. My sons from previous marriage are grown men. It is just me and after 18 years I thought we would grow older together. 😬 Wrong again.
        But…I am better off now rather than later. Just been a hard road. Learning how to be ALONE totally alone for the first time in my life.

        Liked by 2 people

  6. Pingback: Eugi’s Weekly Prompt – Mingle – Roundup – Eugi's Causerie

  7. VJ, you always blow me away with this creative nonfiction poetry form (I just made this up). I don’t know if it’s real or not, but it feels authentic, yet it’s also poetically beautiful ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Hope springs eternal and now that eternal spring is sign of resilience. Plus it makes a great narrative poem. I also really like your art!

    Liked by 3 people

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