How often must I/
hear “You’re the best ______ ever!”
before I’ll believe?
She claimed she cared for me
but what did she ever see
of my kids’ agony?
My lack of destiny?
My parents elderly?
Courtroom travesty?
Lack of money?
My self-destructive propensity?
She only cared
that for her I was there
when she was needy.
On this Valentine’s Day
I spent planning romantic trips:
The south of France.
The coast of Spain.
Springtime overnight
in The City of Light.
A week in Vegas, baby!
A long weekend in Magic Kingdom.
Non-stop flights.
King-sized beds
for one.
When parents split,
Children must make choices.
I did.
No matter where I went,
I had a backup.
If one parent didn’t work out,
I could leave,
Go elsewhere,
Be with someone else.
Dating was the same way.
I’d develop relationships,
Love,
Passion,
But always kept another
In my back pocket,
As a backup.
Marriage should have changed that.
It did
For awhile.
But when I felt unloved,
When there was stress
Or anger
Or loneliness,
I looked for
A backup
Or two,
Or three.
But, unlike with my parents,
I lost everything.
Now I stand alone,
Again,
Seeking love,
Affirmation,
Passion,
Companionship.
But the old fears,
Habits,
Mistakes
Creep in.
I seek backups,
So when she bails,
Denies,
Hurts me,
Shuts down,
Another will be there,
Coming off the bench,
Substituting,
Filling needs
That were never there.
For true love
Needs no backup,
No substitute,
No replacement.
True love just needs
Trust,
Belief
And acceptance.
Knowing that,
Learning that,
Understanding that,
Accepting that
Is my first step.
She claims I am a/
daisy sender. Is she just/
a bunny boiler?