Quits
last night, you had the
chance to make amends. not something you do
easily, no matter what the need.
this time was no different.
you were awkward, fumbling for words that
wouldn’t settle on your tongue. I almost pitied you and spoke
them for
you. something I’ve done a lot in our time. another thing about
us I’ve
got tired of.
I left you twisting in
the wind of your embarrassment. unable to deny
the guilty pleasure that it gave me.
for once, our roles reversed,
I understood the joy you’ve always had at
leaving me out on a limb. understood and resented in the same breath.
it
hardened my resolve to make you beg forgiveness. set the mortar of
the
walls you’ve built between us, who should have stayed friends
for life.
you sat there, silent,
half an hour. I watched your jaw work and your
eyes flint. saw the point of no return rise in your face. stood up
and
left you there to fume.
hours later, before I
went to sleep, I thought of calling to restore
whatever there is left of us. instead, turned over and dropped off
as
soon as my eyes closed.
now it’s morning.
I’ve slept off the impulse, there won’t be any
reconciliation; not unless you’ve learned humility overnight.
not hardly.
so no, there’ll be
no making up. we’re quits
© 2001 Peter Geoffrey
Hynes
