Sad Recollections

From a proposal of marriage I spent

23 years of love and devotion,

problems & challenges we had our share

but to the full extent I had no notion.

The day she announced

her intent to divorce

another step in my journey

down a long rocky painful course.

Such a fool I was in believing

all her notes and cards,

so many I love yous now

turned to shrapnel and shards.

So off I must go

all alone once more,

with pains so great

felt down to my core.

Maybe it would help

if I new the true reasons,

but her mind is delusional

and her body changing seasons.

A mother-in-law I adored

that I’d do anything for

tells me to get over it

and points me to the door.

A step daughter I loved

and treated as my own,

now treats me like scum

or from the devils throne.

Her husband a person

having his own baggage and scars,

obnoxious and self centered

treating others like used cars.

Takes them for a ride

and gets out of them what he can,

then forgets about loyalty

to toss them aside for the next scam.

It’s too bad about his uncle

and the things they did share,

even sadder his wife and her mother

can’t keep his secret in repair.

All too often I had to

listen to stories and endure,

about his wife’s special talents

and her sexual allure.

Out of this cast of

broken people and lives,

there came two flowers

with innocent love in their eyes.

First came Karissa with

the heart of an angel,

followed by James with

a soul of a warrior.

With the best intentions

we entered our place of Eden,

but through fate and destiny

it’s all gone to hell.

It’s them I still love and miss

that I long to hold,

but they’re kept out of reach

and I fear what they’re told.

Tainted by hatred and lies

that God holds them close to

fly like eagles in the skies.

How could I forget them

that will never be,

I will always love those two

as a special part of me.

Gary R. Cramer

April 1, 2004