Tying the knot,
I thought sowed my soul.
Making me a better man,
But I discovered the lack.
Learning how to respect one another.
Loving another at the cost of loving myself.
Unrequited pain, a new form of loneliness.
The body exposing it through night terrors.
Ending with a big bang.
I rebirthed being alone.
In darkness He did his magic.
Cementing my non-negotiables.
Yet again I stand with another.
Uncomfortable comfortable.
Both of us with a checkered past.
Trepidation with hands on the wheel.
Wiser with a touch of grayscale.
A new kind of love we embark.
Both of us have probed for faults.
Scared of what seems perfection.
I stand with her having shaking hands.
And a fearful smile from my past.
I look over to see her response.
For once trepidation turns to tranquil.
She reads me like a book.
Caring where no one has before.
Nurturing my every wince.
The chips are landing perfectly.
Categories:
negotiables, divorce, motivation,
Form: Dramatic Monologue
There was truth in the words she said
As there was nothing in it you'd dread
She spoke of a brave new world
And the non-negotiables she held
You could hear it in her voice
The way her heart sang for choice
For in the end there is only one brave thing
The truth of the love she would bring
She had heard it so gently then
Paul had said you can't pretend
For us all the love you take
Will only be equal to the love you make.
© Paul Warren Poetry
Categories:
negotiables, love,
Form: Ballad
It seems I've done it again,
Shut it down before it started,
My non-negotiables ensuring no man will suffice,
For who could meet such expectations?
When I closed my eyes at night
I saw beautiful landscapes filled with color and life
- so much so the paint danced on the canvas of my mind.
Baby, you had breathed life into my dreams.
Why then,
Why could I not love you?
Why could I not feel anything for you?
Or for anyone since before?
Perhaps I seek too much,
Or perhaps I'm seeking too little,
Or maybe everyone else expects too little of themselves.
Either way, I'm on my own.
On my own, but not lonely.
My friends, family, acquaintances...
I am not alone. Just on my own, and that's ok.
Perhaps I'm too content on my own to be realistic about others.
But why should I?
I know what I want, what I need.
Why shouldn't I seek that? I have me until I find it.
And I have my circle of people. Why even want more?
Categories:
negotiables, feelings, freedom, heartbreak, lost
Form: Free verse