In 1997 - when I was 22 - I met a man who was shy and 14 years older than me, but there was something about him I really liked.
It took a few weeks to get him talking, and he proved to be earnest and funny - but his controlling father took a clear dislike to the situation.
Several months later, out of the blue, the young man tried to break up with me - citing the fact he was too old for me, etc. It didn’t quite ring true with me at the time, but we managed to avoid each other and stay apart for several months.
The resulting poem was published in First Time magazine in 2002 - several years after I wrote it.
AWAITING RECONCILIATION
It took immense courage
To tell me it was over -
The realisation drew blood,
Yet I admired your honesty
As you sat me down to break bad news.
I was upset beyond thought -
Yet I tried to conceal it,
Sensing tears would hurt you further.
I planned to avoid you
In the following weeks,
Told myself I would get over it -
Chided my heart for being silly.
Yet that strong gut feeling,
Those little voices in my head,
Screamed that breaking up was wrong.
Months later you half-smiled at me -
Unsure - I was puzzled,
Weeks later we were laughing together -
Hope rising for a new start.
The days pass laced with anticipation,
Yet tonight I sit brooding -
Awaiting reconciliation.
I still say your name in the dark.
Needless to say the young man and I rekindled our relationship and I gave him a copy of this poem (which he appreciated - even though he is not a poetry-minded type of guy). He admitted his father had tried to force him to break up with me. The young man and I dated for another 15 years while we weathered out his father’s disdain for me.
After his father died, my young man and I waited for another respectful period - and then reader, I married him!