This Long

tears streamed down his face

as he begged

for her forgiveness

of his insecurities

and shortcomings

admitted that his faults

were his way of beating her

to the punch.

a grown man,

now emotionally stripped of every stripe

he'd earned growing up as a hood boy,

stripped of every piece of game

he'd ever played,

stripped of every bit of unfaithfulness

that he'd committed.

it'd taken him this long

to realize she was worth his love,

worth his faithfulness

and security,

worth the late nights full of bore

but full of love that no one

but them

could re-create.

it'd taken him this long

to realize she was it.

to realize that she was the girl

who was more than worth being wife

and mother

and barer of their future.

to realize that her tears

should not have been cried

and dried

by the thermal fitted sheet

and cotton flowered comforter-

but by him instead,
yet he wasn't there
to dry them
to catch them before they fell-
or to keep them from falling at all.


it'd taken him this long
to comprehend her hurt
to see the heaving chest
and bloodshot
tear struck eyes
that it wasn't clear
on whether love
was enough anymore.
it'd take him this long
to realize the most important things
to make it all work,
he pleaded,
hoping and praying
on Bible verses
and shooting stars,
that it hadn't taken him too long
to realize she was gone.