The Fight and How It Felt

She threw me the hurtful look, that bleeding-inside feeling Fell upon me and the whip lashed well Across those deep soft parts That quiver within and dare not show themselves. I nearly snarled, the need to cool pain its transfer was great, But then the blackness of the moment Blinded my soul and filled it with Sad, And whatever inward strength I had deserted me. Love, replete with sins of omission, Keeps count of the subtle slights And stores them in its pantry of poisons Ready to pour into one another's wounds whenever wretchedness Brings the bonding close and sharp together. All the love in the sun is good Where we want to always be, though we cannot, For life will not permit this. The sun casts shadows that follow behind us and threaten; Better to stand in pairs and face them To suffer together and learn Learn to take it all as it comes at us, feel through all the abuse And grope beyond To where control depends on us alone To where no games are played To where the truth is told plainly, face to face, To where we love and afflict one another because it is so empty and fearsome To be alone. Together we are more than one, less than two, stronger than all. Lash went the whip and the pain burnt clear Why such a ritual must be followed is not for reason to sort out For the Fates have tied our lives together and we must walk as one With the heart of each in the other's hand, Knowing love to be a thing of fear and anger and confusion Quite thoroughly mixed with joy. So strike out and savor the hurt that flows in the bad times, That it may teach us what we need to know about the good times, And those good times tell us what we need to know about ourselves. My love for you is too great to be put off by pain. Come along my dear, let's step back into our private world, Ready to go at it all again.