Mercy

A sad smile graces his lips as his hand comes forward to caress my cheek.
“Don’t touch me!”  I exclaim, seeming like a feral kitten.
He knows I dare not strike.

“Please…” He pleads.
And I know I have hit a nerve.

“I can’t bear it..”  I stammer. 
Why won’t he just leave me alone?
The tears in his eyes reflect the sadness in my own.
I cannot help but pity him.

Lovers, we once were.
But his worldly ways would not sate.
For I, alone, could not satisfy him.

In the worst way,
He left me.
In the worst way,
He betrayed me.

And now,
Here he is.
Begging for mercy--
My mercy.

But it is not mine to give.
I shall never give what is not mine to give.
Just as I shall never take what is not mine to take.

Once, I gave him my heart, my soul--
My everything,
And he spurned me.

He wants forgiveness.
He wants mercy.
But I cannot give him what is not mine to give.

“Go…” I say to him.
“Please…”  I beg of him.
I try to feign indifference.
But my voice betrays me.
This, he can see.
For his silence tells me everything.

As he turns to walk away,
I curse my outstretched hand as it, too, betrays me.
I won’t deny it--
I long for him.

But he is not mine to take.
I shall never take what is not mine to take.
Just as I shall never give what is not mine to give.

Reviews

[Lucinda Bogart]

What can I say that hasn't already been said ?? Wonderful.....I mean really really good...the betrayal of a lover, the betrayal of self...the self loathng for needing and wanting and giving in. Haven't we all felt that way at some time or the other or one relationship or another ?? Great stuff !!

[Silvia - Scribo, Ergo S..]

Very emphatic piece ... You can feel what she (you?) feels ... the hurt, the pain, the being torn between wanting and realising it is better to let go. Like it.

PS: Somehow it strike me more as prose than as a poem though. Not that it matters. xxx

[justjenn_2u]

I understand how he is not yours if he strayed. One cannot give his heart while his thoughts are astray. I see an unwavering love compounded with a broken heart. A well versed poem, indeed.

[smiggle wiggle]

This is really good! I can actually feel the emotions in this piece! Great job and keep writing!

[No One Important]

Beautifully orchestrated and achingly real...I really liked the nuance and interaction...very good

[Phibby Venable]

Oh, very beautiful..and the overwhelming sense of longing!!

[sherra.]

I actually felt hurt in my heart reading this.
You captured all the feelings and transferred them to the story...
Good work!

[Haden]

great echo throughout the piece:
"Just as I shall never give what is not mine to give"

this is so divided. i want to tell him to go away but somehow you make the reader feel ... just what it's like to need the thing that hurts you most. it really does capture the pain of saying good bye when you want so much just to hold on. i definitely felt this ... ouch.

[Beautifully Tragic xPoe..]

I really enjoyed this. this is excellent work. wonderfully written.


Great write.

[R J Askew]

I like the repeats in this as they gear up the compled mood of loss, denial and longing. It is almost as if you cannot win. The poem captures the feeling of conflicting aims perfectly...and wrapped up in a sense that you may not have much control over things you can't do anyway.

[Glee]

I shall never take what is not mine to take.
Just as I shall never give what is not mine to give

Hes yours dear, go ahead and take him. Life is short, good men are hard to find. Forgiveness is divine, love has no boundaries.

Touching write, but its so hurtful.