Friday 15 June 2012

THE (NOT SO) PERFECT EX

#RomanticFridayWriters - Linky Sign Up - Challenge No 38 - Being the Perfect Ex.


So they've moved on and found someone else. Getting back together may mean a lot of work, a lot of changes. But is it time to move on instead?
So many places this prompt could take you. Will you play the irony card or will your perfect ex really be perfect? INSTRUCTIONS:
Write your story/poem. Publish it on your blog. Copy your direct link to the Linky below.
400 words of prose or prosetry.


Here is my entry:


THE (NOT SO) PERFECT EX

You cut out a slice of my life
Hacked at my happiness with a knife
My abiding love for you was slanted
To give you everything you wanted.

I was loving and tender
I didn't want to surrender
Oh how I tried and tried
To have your love for me survive

She wove her spider’s web through and through
Although the words she spoke were not true
You left me shipwrecked and abandoned
Alone to love our two children
It took me a while to pick up the pieces,
Dust myself off and review my choices
Entering the dating game again
Twenty years later it certainly isn't the same

So now I know what I can do
Forgiveness makes me better than you
I don't need to be derogatory
No more explanations are necessary

You stretched the boundaries
All I have left are the memories
Some are precious jewels to treasure
That are far too numerous to measure.
A phone call to your mobile
Your voice makes me bristle
I bite my tongue and say my piece
Letting out my breath with a slow release

 The bearer of bad tidings will be the contact
The conversation must just cover the facts
There is nothing else in common, we’ve both moved on
Take a deep breath and stand up strong.

A meeting at Accident and Emergency when our son
Has a motorbike accident and I call you to come
We have to be civil and it’s easier than I thought
It’s not just us but someone else to worry about.

The electronic world enables some email contact there,
No secrets in my house but in yours they appear
So your perfection is covered by deceit in your new life
Suspicions aroused she stamps down on you as your new wife.

Called again to the hospital this time with joy
We welcome the premature arrival of our newest boy
Gazing with love through the incubator wall
At the newest generation we are both enthralled

So now it’s more than ten years down the line
I’ve found a gentleman who suits me just fine
With his help and broad shoulders to lean upon
He’s smoothed away the deep furrowed frown

Not quite the perfect ex, not quite the ideal
Lessons have been hard but I’ve learnt them well
My children and family surrounded me with love
I wouldn’t be me without all of the above.

Word Count: 402

15 comments:

  1. This poem is like a letter from a woman to her ex-husband. She complains, she laments. I wonder what he thinks of all of this? It sounds like he is not interested.

    Great take on the theme. It's a tricky one.

    Best wishes,
    Anna
    Anna's RFW #38


    P.S. I really like the postcard at the bottom with the words: The one who is meant for you encourages you to be your best but still loves & accepts you at your worst.
    Who wrote that?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anna, I don't know who is responsbile for the quote but it can certainly cut both ways as nobody is perfect.
      This challenge was tricky and I think the next one could be as well.

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  2. That is beautifully real, and sad

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  3. Sometimes it is like a minefield, coping with an ex who's betrayed one in a very public and hurtful way. You express this very eloquently.

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  4. Felt very truthful. Good voice, I enjoyed the journey she took.

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  5. Sally, I hung onto every word as you took me through this couple's story. Lament is an apt description for parts of it. Very strong voice. A knowing woman. Moving on in a positive way yet intelligent enough to know that her past with this man has brought some good things, like their son. '...memories...precious jewels...'

    Thanks for your beautiful poetry Sally. Great use of the prompt. I'm sure you're up to Stuck in the Middle!

    Denise

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  6. This was really nice. I agree with Denise, it sounds like she has embraced the positive and decided to be forgiving rather than bitter, which surely isn't easy. Good job!

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  7. Good story here. I'm so glad she was able to forgive and heal.

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  8. My dear Sally,
    Forgiveness is the greatest quality of love. Well written my friend.

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  9. It's easy to stay mad and angry or even hate those that have trespassed against you in any way... but that same anger and hatred has no affect on them whatsoever... then you realize that you're the prisoner. It's when you forgive those people that you free yourself from all that pain and anger.. you free yourself from those chains that tie you down. Something I have learned so well through in life. Take care Sally..

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  10. Forgiving always makes us better! Great journey. Lovely take on a tricky theme.

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  11. Forgiveness is good as it allows us to move one. So is loving ourselves that little bit more than we loved the deserter. Tricky, necessary and true. Welcome to RFW. Hope you'll be joining us often.

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  12. This is a beautiful piece on forgiveness and satisfaction in retrospect.

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  13. Well done Sally. I loved the story of all the shared times after the divorce, and the outcomes. I'm not usually a happily ever after person, but I liked that she was able to find true love. This was beautifully written, and did capture the required romance and essence of the prompt.

    Thanks for participating in this weeks RFW prompt. It has been a pleasure reading your excerpt.

    .......dhole

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  14. In a word, "Ouch!" The pain you depicted can be felt by others who have never been in your situation.

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