After the War

You cried and begged him to stay As I winced from my soul Stifling a cry, too – only my tears Were from his treatment of you You were silent in the days after he’d gone Looking past me instead of at me Seeing something I could not, a ghost perhaps Of the time when you both laughed Your hope, I could see, was lost in the past Where dread and darkness caressed Shadows of your heart and soul, your love Which shed tears of loss that lingered on Hues of gray mingled with your tears Touching me with the need I could feel A poverty so deep and rich it begged for A breath of color to brighten your thoughts Whispers of pain mingled with dismay at your condition Flowed rich with grief, mourning for this Man who was filled with rage, racked with storms Breaking more than bones, but hearts and homes You shine, like a dawn light, with insight and faith Grace that clings to the source of your love A power higher than the one that left you lost and alone Silent as the sun – begging for mercy to come He left you and I didn’t cry for him at all, was almost happy He was gone and I could see you shine like the sun With your kindness and joy, your flavors of sweetness assuring My heart that he had left you with more love than loss I, being the child of this marriage, this passion that vanished Was the only one, it seemed, to truly accept the fierce Piercing truth that told everyone we knew we were better off Because he had never been the good man you deserved He had been a cold, hard, heartless man of cynicism He had been dark and prayerless, like a stone Who only knew to reach out to you with a yelling wave Of distrust, disdain, discouragement For me, his leaving was a blessing to be thankful for You seemed sad, but I was glad When he left, there was finally a peace to feel, relief Where there had only been a battleground