If you wanna know the truth
I lied to her.
It’s not like she shouldn’t have known better.
After all I didn’t give her a phone number,
just a beeper.
Hell, I met her in a club for christ’s sake!
Drinking, dancing; what’s a woman like that expect?
Forever - not in this lifetime.
Told her I was recently divorced,
“live with my sister”
She don’t like me giving out her number.
What kind of woman buys that load of crap?
So the next weekend we “make love”
I’ve got a key to a place, ya know.
Man… I twisted that girl all to pieces.
Truth is, she kind of twisted me too.
Look it’s not like the wife cares or anything.
And the woman…
…She kept comin’ back for more.
I called her everyday.
Both of us were addicted - so what.
Told her she was “the only one.”
- Friend told her I was married,
Ha, she was foolish enough to defend me.
Couldn’t even call me at home -- but she defends me.
How naive is that?
Told her I was “in love” with her,
but the damn girl wouldn’t say it back.
Said she “didn’t believe in love.”
But she did anything I asked;
“and trust me I asked.”
“Why wouldn’t she say it back?”
I go home to the wife…
sleep in my separate room.
Wonder why the hell we stay married.
Oh yeah… she won’t give me a reason to leave.
Doesn’t want sex, but told me to “get it elsewhere.”
How do you leave a woman like that?
I call the girl again and make plans to meet.
At least I’m getting some regular like.
No more fumbles in the dark with women I’ll never see again.
And the girl she’s special.
I’m laying there holding her,
(funny I’ve never done that before)
and I tell her again that I love her.
She looks at me with those dark eyes
and tells me “not” too.
Talks about being broken, and unable to love.
Don’t know why I wanna here those words anyhow,
it’s not like I really care.
It’d just give me more power over her to have them.
What the hell do I need love for any way?
I got wife at home, that should be enough.
“Yeah right some wife.”
So I gather her closer and kiss her.
“Why can’t you love me?”
She hugs me tightly, whispering,
“Don’t cry… please; stop crying.”
Patricia Gibson-Little
April 22, 2003
__________
“I have something to tell you” he says,
“You’re going to hate me.”
My breath catches;
and I know…
“I’m married”
…He lied to me.
Three incredible months,
rooted in lies.
“I love you.”
How many times did he say it?
And I believed him.
Felt sorry for him.
“Why can’t you love me?”
God, how many times have I been hurt?
Too many - too much pain;
It left me empty.
But he cried… cried for me!
Those tears they filled me.
Wrapped in his arms;
as sorrows dripped upon my face.
I was so afraid.
Icy matrimonial misery
had left me with a frozen heart;
an empty frigid soul.
It comforted me…
Knowing that I was broken.
I could glory in tangled bodies -
never risking pain.
I lost myself in him.
That never happened to me before.
But this was a new me;
One who could have a one-night stand.
That’s all it was supposed to be.
He took my breath away,
(I finally knew how women did it)
the moment I saw him… I hungered!
And oh God, the sex was glorious.
The French’s “little death”
I died in his arms;
was reborn, and died again.
I was addicted.
How could I have missed this?
Before sex had just been fun;
this… was earth shattering.
And he loved me!
I could feel it
in the way he caressed me after;
Worshiping my body.
“You’re so beautiful.”
I’d hear it in his words.
“I love the gentle swell “
(He called it that)
“of your stomach.”
But still I wouldn’t let him in.
I wouldn’t love him.
Why can’t I love him?
“I’ll never love anyone.”
I have something to tell you he says,
You’re going to hate me.
My breath catches;
and I know…
… I lied to myself!
Patricia Gibson-Little
April 22, 2003
Author notes
As you can see these are prewritten. But I thought they fit the contest criteria perfectly. I’m really looking forward to reading more of the entries to this contest.
Written November 19th, 2003
In a list
A contest entry
- Two Sides To Every STORY by KeepingTheStars.
340 points, ended February 2, 2004, 55 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 18 of 18
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I thought this was a truly interesting poem, and I wish only that I had the words to describe what I am feeling. Awesome job at describing two sides to a somewhat complicated story. -
wow... totally unique!!! I absoluted loved how you wrote this epic tale!! The switching of charcters, the twist and turns... You really have great talent... Well Done and thanks for sharing such an excellent piece of art! ^_^
Oh and by the way, thanks very much for commenting on my work - much appreciated!
..Moo..
Edited on Jun 13, 7:47 p.m. because 'forgot to add extra thanks'. -
YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! An amazing poem - at last!! Absolutely beautiful, and (don't tell anyone this
) I much preferred it to the poem that won first place. Wow - you pulled the emotions out of me. This poem is deeply touching and I'm sure that many people can relate.
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Excellent. This is what I was looking for, Great write.
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absolutely wonderful
This is so beautiful. It's so upsetting though. It makes me want to cry for both sides. They both have obviously had very rough times, and I almost know how the female in the story feels. Really great work -
I thought it was fantastic, so well written. It's actually put me of writing my own entry! Well done and good luck.
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Yes this is a true story... and it has a happy ending for eveyone. Even "I believe from talking to her" his ex-wife. But it took a lot of heartache and almost two years to work out the tangled mess.
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incredible, real.....please tell me this really happened? beautifully woven into a no taxing write, good luck! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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agree with B- man - realistic weave of complexity and not one of a good guy/bad girl genre or vise versa - liked the development of the characters - real characters
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I couldn't stop reading this poem. At first, I thought it was going to be another one of those "burned by the bastard" poems. But you really blew away my expectations. The casual language underlining the poetry of a relationship... honest and truly impressive.
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Really excellent poem. At first i was wondering about it...not sure if i liked it or not. But as I got to the end I thought it was realyl sweet. I'm totally against the thought of someone cheated on someone they "supposivly" love. But I guess there was something else here behind the poem that was invisible from the readers. In which i mean the situation of the wife and husband. They didn't even spend there nights together. The love had grown cold and he found a new love, a warm love somewhere else. Very awesoem write. I loved it. Interesting points of view though. Keep writing.
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fantastic work here...I was caught right from the first line...it's amazing how you have put those two ways of thinking across...very very impressive...hugs...leanne xxx
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fabulous fantastic breath taking so vivid.
AMAZING AND BREATH TAKING... I swear I dont think I took a breath reading that... well yeah I did but anyways wow... I gotta work on my writing but this is great I love it... anyway skeep up the great work you are an artist and you have much talent... I like this a lot...
~predatorsgirl~
kim
hope to read more from you !
great! -
STUNNING!!!
You are soooooo good...and better. My gosh this kept me glued to the monitor. Abosolutely perfectly it fit. It was like I was hearing them both talking to me. That is terrific...seriously no chit....
Sam
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WOW! The male, female relationship series in this contest is windswept. We need to hold a conference or workshops on how to understand and treat one another. Great write, so vivid and full of images and words that have yearnings to be loved. Good luck with the contest.
Denise
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I loved this. I was thinking about entering, but now I know maybe I shouldnt, or maybe I should wait and actually give it more thought that I originally would and just spew it out and hope it sounded good, like I normally do. But this, this is amazing. Such a great write. So well written and just plain awesome. Good luck in the contest!!
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You're right, it fit the contest perfectly. I was blow away at how well written both sides were. Amazing job here. Thank you for entering and good luck!!!!
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As I was reading this, I kept thinking that I had read this one before...but not here at AP. I finally figured it out. It is nice to see a fellow TPLer around here.
This is a great piece. Good luck in the contest.
I am just kinda browsing tonight, not really in the mood to comment so please excuse my lack of a 'real' comment/critique.
Breelynn
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