Sold my soul for union –
destruction built-in
Narcissism is a bastard
luxuriates in self-catering
Did not anticipate loss –
innocence slaughtered
Force to grow sensibility
don a tough shell –
Would not let betrayal
call me by name.
It was not meandering
that shredded my heart
but the loss of a child
caught in the crossfire
too young to discern
parental alienation.
(Image from personal collection.)
All relationships have walls,
the therapist offered
Walls, I could handle –
build a ladder, scale –
seems there was no help
for the vortex that was
our marriage – his narcissism
a black hole that devoured
my soul….
(For Reena’s Exploration challenge. Image credited NASA, BBC News.)
A tragic flaw
does not always a hero make.
She thought it did –
despite her beauty,
despite the Zeus’ who pursued her;
she set her sights on the unattainable.
Was it self-degradation or the sting
of a jilted spouse that tarnished her –
either way she lost her voice,
her autonomy shattered.
He tolerated her –
to a point – let her fawn
perversely intrigued,
no doubt flattered,
by her willingness to cloy.
Love was not in his DNA –
he lacked the missing component
so wrapt in his own drama;
he had no empathy –
no capacity for compassion.
Was it Nemesis, or
did they just reap what they’d sewn –
for theirs was a tragedy of Greek proportions –
the more distant he grew
the more she desired him
like a flower, too delicate to grasp
the less she demanded for herself
the less visible she was to him –
meaningless words lost on deaf ears
Sadly, theirs is a common tale –
though mythical in its telling, the patterns
repeat – love continues to elude.
(Pretty sure you can guess today’s prompt. Hope you enjoyed.)
Dressed herself in sequins,
sparkled from head to toe,
courted celebrity, falling for
the spell – could not see the
lies presented, nor the trail
of endless tears behind him.
He was drawn by her passion,
a radiant exuberance buoying
his spirit, her love reminiscent
of the mother he’d lost long ago,
like the family he never knew,
he followed her lead; intrigued.
She set the scene for perfection,
fretted over each detail, prayed
that all would come together,
a relationship fated to be,
failed to see the patterns that
would surely sabotage her.
Love was never his intention,
preferred young women, was
already involved, thirsted only
for her charm, hungered for
the brilliance of her soul, it was
her mystery that he craved.
She immersed himself in his
cause, committed to finding
his truth, failed to heed
inner authority, broke her
own rules, lost balance after
his abandonment; ashamed.
He’d never wanted saving,
thought he’d been clear all
along, preferred being single
avoided tarnishing his star,
had merely liked his reflection
shimmering beneath her glow.
One Woman's Quest 