The Betrayal

Douglas Calder

My wife

My partner

Though I do not always treat her so

We should traverse life together

Yet I fight her

Even when she sees the way

And I do not

We should be a team

Yet we are often adversarial

I wonder why that is

Yet the reason looks back at me

From the bathroom mirror

We should have trust

Yet I have done things

To destroy that trust

She stands by me

Even though I do not deserve it

I must make amends

To restore that which

Can still be salvaged

I must rebuild

That which has been torn down

That which I have torn down

I marvel at the fact

That I am allowed

This opportunity

To redeem myself

But my wife

Is a good and trusting person

Even though I have

No right to expect it

She is patient with me

This is why I do love her so

She feeds me

She provides me shelter

I owe the very presence of

The clothes on my back

To her generosity

I need no other but her

Yet I strayed from the path

For months I was away

When I did return

Her anger was a sight to behold

Yet love wins out

A strained love to be sure

Yet love it is

That draws us back to each other

Respect and trust

Once implied

Now must be restored

By the one who caused the damage

By me

For my wife

For us