Years ago, I married someone
Who was not in love with me;
But, she thought, here was a chance to
Live her life more ‘normally’.
She was gay, but didn’t tell me.
But, she didn’t mean it cruel:
She had feelings (sort of) for me,
And, of course, I was a fool –
Then, one day, she finally told me.
Not long after, left for good –
Children, had or raised together,
Coped as best they found they could.
Oh, this world needs no more hatred,
Lost my anger long ago —
Lost the feeling I deserved it;
Found a life, but even so –
In a life that’s made of moments
Some of them we give away
To those we find do not love us,
If we’re lucky, they don’t stay.
But they’re moments, lost forever,
That we can go back and browse:
Empty as a winter sunset,
Hollow as our
Wedding vows
People I knew in my social circle did that in the late 1960’s. He was gay, was very fond of her, but found after a few years that he could not live in a hetero relationship, and left. She adored him, did not know he was gay until he left her. and was devastated for a very long time. The relevant laws were changed more than ten years later.
This happened to someone in my family too. It’s sad that people can’t be comfortable with who they are because of society’s pressures and that results in heartbreak for a whole family.
It happens often I know. At least she’s happier now.