Divorce

The tourniquet of words
did not stop the bleeding.

We were together once.
One soul, we thought in our youthful foolishness.

We stood in the land that connects everything—
separate, alone, curled around a mutual pain.

Our brief humanity stunted by fear
created an incandescent light.

We used to kneel together and spoke prayers
unaware that listening was prayer.

We got stuck a second time
hearts blinking, not beating—

the bio-chemical love, hormone surge
bodies dumb, automated by nature.

You did not leave me nor I you.
We left each other under mutual consent.

There are no reparations for this liberating torment—
this intentional vow breaking.

copyright © 2022 Kenneth P. Gurney