Times To Weep Poem by Lonnie Hicks

So often I
have taken from you
and given little back
yet
you have never complained
as I pretended to think
this was simply in your nature.

Many times
I turned from your tears
fooling my self
that you were grieving
over some girl friend
and her misfortunes in love
not seeing
the hurt there
came at my hands;
ignoring that I kept you
in my emotional jail
you unable to leave
and I unable to let you go.

I wore your obsession with me
like male perfume;
my aroma therapy

But came the day
you rolled up your
heart-break carpet
tucking it neatly away
in the hall closet
me in two days calling you back
from your mother's house
because I missed
you not being there for me
for whenever I needed.
You saw this abandoning
your healing time

and came back
came back to say your
final hello
and your final goodbye.

'While you loved' you said
'and offered the kiss'
I merely turned my head
on all those years
and 'offered only the cheek.'

Now my face
is to the wall
unable to sleep
all these years
and you
have the children
you sought
and I have my own
carpet
now
kneeling
at night
taking
my own time to weep
about missed opportunities
love lost
regrets at my pillow-keep.