I heard you the loudest
through shrill screams and
sadistic sarcasm
through colorful conundrums
through quandaries and qualifying
excuses and exaggerations
and blame blazing
through formidable invisible walls.

We lived like it was all real.
Like we knew the truth:

you were
the problem and
I was someone else's solution.
Lived
like your triple crown race of
raggedly panting under someone else
was par for the course.

You said
the first time was a mistake
the second time was to test the theory
the third time you were too drunk to remember and

We lived like it was all real.

Lived
like the loud, shrill, sadistic sarcasm
and colorful conundrums and qualifying excuses
were the best of it;
like our truth was unequivocally, no question about it,
no way no how, moral of the story, total and complete Bible gospel:
lived blame like it was a show-don't-tell version of
I love you.

08/08/2012

Posted on 08/08/2012
Copyright © 2025 Rachelle Howe