"Forgiveness"

  

 I wanted to blanket you in gentle warmth,  

            swaddle  you, protect you  

Never dreaming that you suffocated  

            under the weight of my attention  

I longed for you to mirror my heart  

            —mimic my words  

            —morph into my Mini-Me  

And I snipped away your identity  

And shaped you into a paper doll  

            that no one else can love  

When convenient—  

I mended your heartbreaks  

And fought your monsters  

I also shared our intimacies  

            —in gossip  

            stripping you to bare bones  

My love— 

            So wrong in intensity—  

whipped between over-indulgence and neglect  

On and off  

And on again  

            Leaving you heartless  

Copyright 2015 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

 

 

 

"Apology"

Sorrow fills me   
I disappointed you     
            let you down   
I didn’t see your struggle   
            hear your plea   
            pay attention   
I let my obsessions bleed into your heart   
I took my desires and poured them into your life   
Now you overflow   
            with my pettiness   
Shame fills me   
            weighs my movements and halts my thoughts   
I hurt you   
            caused you distress   
I didn’t listen to your words    
            watch your face   
            walk in your shoes   
I am sorry    
            chokes my breath and spills from my eyes   

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Tone of Voice"

I’m okay, fine       

she whispers without eye contact       

I’ve got it handled       

Don’t worry       

He misses the hollowness of her words        

overlooks her subtle cues—       

her Woman Speak       

She tucks her feet onto the couch,     

pulls herself into a tight ball under a red throw       

stares at the television without seeing       

sighing deeply       

Oblivious, he flips the channel       

to his station       

assuming—       

all’s right       

content to listen to her words       

instead of her tone of voice       

Her annoyance and sadness battle across her features       

surreptitiously, she wipes her silent tears       

waits for him to notice her heaviness       

His attention rivets on the game       

its motion mesmerizes him      

takes him away and isolates her     

She grabs hold of anger over sorrow       

indignation throws her off the couch       

propels her into their bedroom       

fuels the door slam        

He sits with bewilderment      

lost         

Cautiously, he approaches the closed door     

tentatively tapping       

Can I do something?       

No. I’m okay, fine        

I’ve got it handled       

Don’t worry       

He opens the door anyway       

pulls her into his arms       

In tenderness, he wipes the tears from her face       

We’ll handle it       

he soothes and reassures with understanding       

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman