What were you thinking
when you let vengeance dictate your actions
did seeing me taken away in cuffs
soothe your soul,
did you stay up nights
conceiving of the most vicious accusation
to levy at a person
were your days consumed with plots and plans
for the most brutal retaliation,
did you study to perfect the art
of deceptive avenging
or salivate with anticipation
over the scarlet letter that would be branded
onto my forehead?
would my prison sentence be sufficient recompense
for your disappointment
was the damage inflicted on my children, my family, and my friends
pleasing to your inflated ego
or did you regard it as collateral damage?
revenge was sweeter than the sweetest honey
it was your sole desire
became your mantra
your reason for living
and you pursued it the way a man pursues
a beautiful woman
it pulsed in your veins like supreme cut heroin
when you decided not only to get mad
but to get even
and you repeated your lies/stories/epic/ode of abuse
to the judge
the social workers
as you cried your river of tears
and everybody believed you.
did you scream rah rah
and jump into a cheerleading contortion
as my family sat in the courtroom
viewing your antics and your co-conspirator
the prosecutor in disbelief
and grief
as I was escorted away in chains?
I always knew that justice was blind
but it was stupid, cruel and gullible as well.
I did time to appease your hurt feelings
my children did time because of your evil
my parents did time all because of your lies
we paid the price
for my crime
I was guilty
of not loving you
and tolerating your bullshit
anymore
