Leopard

Caught in that weak moment
a decade beyond the split
infiltrating my world
this past January
a cryptic message
hiding content
but asking to meet

I wavered in thought
as to what I should do
always believing
that my sacrifice was unjustified
but being the mature-minded
I took all my savings
to excise you from my life
and carried on
with the residual belief
that without provocation
I somehow deserved
to be humiliated
and lied about
and publically mocked

You stole my hometown
and kept congregating in circles
that were once my friends
so I packed up a UHAUL
and started over,
again

And so the second message
has trickled through
three months later
and an apology

I could have left it to hang
keep you wondering
if I could ever forgive
but my true nature
wouldn't allow me
to let it sit there
unanswered.

I had to be so careful,
I had to give nothing
beyond accepting it
(whether heartfelt or not)

Again, it somehow forced me back
to re-examine the whole charade,
and I'm pissed off
to be interrupted by
this embarrassing past
and the driving need
to know why now

And it all goes back to the leopard,
as I picture you smirking
feeling a strange victory
that I took the bait,
the point clearly pounded home
by your lack of a response.