Oblivious

.
I gained weight, right?
I was grumpy and nagged you.
I was too late, too early,
too quick or too slow
to offer my attention,
affection, affliction,
conviction.
.
I deserved it,
when you screamed at me
broke my gifts to you,
tore your paintings in two.
.
It was my fault, right?
.
the confusion I felt
evidence of my narcissistic
self-delusion, right?
.
eight months of abuse for
I was no possible use
other than a punching bag,
chef, mother or
very-occasional lover.
.
because I gained weight, right?
I was grumpy and nagged you.
I was too late, too early
too quick or too slow
to offer my attention,
affection, affliction,
conviction.
.
but now I know because
our climax has passed.
you finally had your breakdown.
.
threw your last gift and
tore your last painting.
.
eight months is what it took
for you to tell me why I deserved
your hate, your ire,
disrespect and flagrant,
disrepentant inattention.
.
in such succinct words:
.
“I slept with Heather, while you were in London.”
.
you are so, so right.
.
the two of you drank wine out
of my wine glasses.
set them on my coffee table,
ascended my stairs.
.
when I met you, you only had one room –
but now, one year later –
you could soil an entire house.
.
to the boudoir, Heather! pay no mind
use my pillows, bathrobe, boyfriend.
fornicate while my soft toys,
bear witness.
.
ten years further through life than me
and you still don’t have your own, heather?
.
with no doubt in my ability to
replace what is lost,
I know you cannot, so
.
take them, if
they’re yours, Heather.
.
I desire no object
tarnished by
a person named after a bush.
.
HEATHER 2a; especially : a common, vulgar Eurasian heath (Calluna vulgaris): any of a family (Ericaceae, the heath family) of shrubby dicotyledonous and often evergreen plants that thrive on open barren usually acidic and ill-drained soil.
.
.
.
[end/arken2004]