Millions of Seconds
Silence crept through the house that daybeginning in the kitchen where I’d confronted him
into the bedroom where I crawled into bed
that first night alone and afraid,
the memory of threats thrown
of death and dismemberment,
of no one even caring or missing me,
words like demons in the dark
haunting the space I remained in.
He had always been the one to leave,
to take his ball and play elsewhere,
his finger of justification pointing at me
for being either too little or too much,
but never able to read his mind in time
to stop the accusations that fueled the fists
that pounded me into submission,
so that when he reappeared, smiling,
as if nothing had happened,
I rejoined the game.
When you are the prey you find a rhythm.
Time your words, measure your actions.
The predator lies in wait for your next mistake.
The last time he left was at my request,
not from courage but from heartbreak,
my heart breaking into a million pieces
from the millions of seconds I had loved him,
believed in him, in us, and all the while
he was on the hunt for younger prey.
As the silence lost its power,
the demons moved out
with each letter I trashed,
with each card I ripped into shreds,
with each photo I tore in half.
Were the words ever meant?
Were the smiles ever real?
The day came when it no longer mattered,
as I quit looking over my shoulder
and began my life on my terms.
No predators need apply.
Poetry by Melinda K Zarate
Written on 2026-10-07 at 05:24
Tags Heartbreak Abuse Divorce
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
