No chance for love poems now.
Maybe we’ll find another way to say it.

I’ll be so glad when it’s over,
when he finally allows it all to be destroyed.
I was so foolish. Wasted so much time believing.
I tried to make the break, tried to leave
but never could.
Mom was right when she said
I was a creature of habit
and didn’t manage change well.

From the way things are going
it won’t be long now.
There were circumstances
we had to put up with.
We are, we did & we will
until the bitter end.
It’s nice to have a place
to mourn my losses.
For that I’m grateful.

I have given up on the carpenter,
the builder has disappointed me
beyond redemption,
but it was worth it
being here with you.

Image credit:Nadine Shaabana

Cheryl Leverette—the pen name of Cheryl Ann Dodd—was a prolific poet who drew much inspiration from the company of other writers and artists online. She died on May 27, 2019. The rest of her inspiration came from her family. For her author bio on Open Arts Forum, she wrote, "I'm a grandmother living in Tennessee, enjoying my family and semi-retirement. I love writing and poetry as a hobby and also as a learning experience. It keeps me sharp."