I voice the question every woman fears,
my mind a litany of plausible denials, my body
bracing for the answer he hesitates to give.
In that infinite moment of devastating discernment,
my heart splinters painfully into insignificance.
I listen in anguished wonder to his reasoned words,
his promises, his lies, his pleading apologies,
only wanting details in place of sordid imaginings.
Every happy memory tainted with untruth,
the disillusionment of the illusion.
I find it some sad irony that I desperately long
to be comforted by the arms of my husband,
the one I forgave before he ever uttered a word.
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She is the mother of three mischievous children and a military wife stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, FL. She has lived in Arkansas, Texas, Hawaii, Oklahoma, New York, North Carolina, and New Mexico. Her hobbies include: eating chocolate, scrap-booking, cooking, reading, and writing poetry. She has had poems published in Backstreet, The Main Street Rag, and the Wisconsin Review.
To view more from this author pick up a copy of the Spring/Summer 2018 issue of The Stray Branch.