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Either Way

by Alison McKenzie

It just seems to me that either
You’re not ready
To take the steps that
Move a relationship forward;
To take on the arduous task
Of tending a relationship,
Keeping it alive,
Pruning back the excess
And cultivating what’s left -
Or I'm not the one.

What I don’t understand is
Why you can’t just say that.

Instead you argue
That you truly want a future for us.

And yet you stand still,
Choosing nothing
Over any kind of action
That could be used as evidence
Of your devotion.
Like polka dots with paisley,
Your words collide
With the wall of nothing
That gets done in their stead.

Back in January
You asked me to
"Just give it until March."
Well, March has come and gone
Along with the summer heat
And the leaves will soon be
Turning, turning.

Your current complaint
Is that I’m distant,
Not as attached as I was
In the beginning.
Don’t you see I couldn’t
Continue to invest at that level?
You nearly popped the question
Before you even got here.
That was a year and a half ago,
And now I feel the fool
Until I can no longer look in the mirror
For what I’ve put out there
For all the world to see
While you hide behind
“That’s just the way I am.”

I don't mind if you're not ready,
Just don't keep dangling that rotting carrot
Like it's some destination vacation.
And I don’t mind if I’m not the one,
Just don’t bullshit me into thinking I am.

08/26/2008

Author's Note: Ahhhh, the words of frustration. I should add that we generally talk later on, and end up reaching better understandings of what's going on. And even though I'm not happy with the "direction" (or lack thereof) this relationship is headed in, I do believe I have something to learn here, and that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, for now. :-)

Posted on 08/26/2008
Copyright © 2024 Alison McKenzie

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