From a book of Dylan Thomas
A faded photograph fell,
1992 on the back in my hand.
Two lovers’ smiles,
His wide and cocky,
Mine thinner and a bit forced.
My make-up is heavier:
Concealer carefully layered and blended
Around my right eye;
Eyeliner slightly darker around the left,
A deliberate strike
To counter the effects of
His deliberate strike;
Lipstick the color of dried blood,
Unflattering but sufficient camouflage.
Familiar emotions resurface
As I stare at the woman
Who only exists
In that picture and my memory:
Shock.
Betrayal.
Anger.
Shame.
I rip the photo in half,
Permanently unpacking that bit of pain,
And find one more emotion
I’m finally prepared to add to my list:
Forgiveness.
6 comments:
Good for you. A forgiving heart does sleep better.
beautifully done!
one more frivolous addition: it has been proved that in these cases burning the pictures in question and flushing them down the toilet serves as excellent antiseptic.just in case.
Perfect ending! The only way to truly move on is to forgive. Great poem.
Wow! I've read many pieces dedicated to this topic. This is perhaps my favorite. Handled gingerly, expertly, from the point of view of a woman who surmounted, moved on. Exceedingly well done.
This is so very odd, my post I have saved for Tuesday's DVerse Poets Pub is very similar to this! Of course it is not the same but the thoughts are quite close. Must be in the water. lol! Keep an eye out on Tuesday, it's titled "Polaroids of Delilah" :)
I'm following you now! :)
Kellie
http://magicinthebackyard.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/keys-ethree/
Good poem and great sentiment but more than anything I had to write and tell you how much I like the title of your blog!
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