He didn’t hear you.
your voice never reached
his ears. The door stop
of his pride pushed your heart
against the wall, and he could
only pull out the blueprints
of the house, the furniture,
And your marriage. He sized
you up into inches and your worth
became manifest destiny.
He built you a perfect cage
within the words: love, loyalty and duty.
You spent years building yourself
into perfection until your palms chafed
in disappointment, your knees ached
in resentment and your heart shattered.
Every caged bird found freedom,
when the front door opened,
and he never came home. You learned
to structure your spine with your own happiness
and created a blueprint in your smile.
You learned about the warmth of sunlight
instead of shoved corner role
of a basement wife.
Poetic Trials 