Eventual Strangers

When lovers part after fleeting romance,
Whether by will or circumstance,
There dies a short-lived unity -
The sting of missed opportunity.

And couples, too, feel the sting
That dissolution of a union may bring.
However, they experience it more acutely
And observe their heartache more astutely.

But when two who are bound by blood and intimacy
Are torn apart by infidelity
The sting rings hollow in the jilted heart
While the other plays the sorrowful part.

What twinge of rejection? What ephemerality?
What comfort to be had in lamenting what could be?
What purpose to be found in looking back in anger?
What words to be offered to an eventual stranger?