The Bad Ex

I always assumed

bad people had bad intentions,

that one could not accidentally

waltz through the gates of hell.

 

But apparently, here I am.

 

I wanted desperately to help you,

saving nothing for myself,

and still I am condemned.

I gave until it nearly broke me,

and yet all your royal bystanders

turn down their thumbs

and applaud as the execution

concludes. 

I feel misused and flattened.

I feel pressed dry of empathy and

ability to understand. 

Can you see the boy at the center

of this ball of bandages,

this crumpled creature,

the core of my being?

I don't have the heart to pass

your judgement down onto him. 

He has suffered enough without

your involvement. 

Reviews

[i.am.the.sun.]

Wreck-it-Ralph has a great take away that can help with these feelings. It's a meme at this point, but the whole "you're a bad guy, but you're not a Bad Guy."
We don't get to write the narratives other people have in their own heads, and sometimes, as unfair as it may seem, they NEED someone to be their bad guy because it makes their story make sense to them. Sometimes that guy is you.
It's okay to be the bad guy in someone else's story. It's not a reflection of you. This has helped me with some old friendships, etc. I hope things start looking/feeling better for you soon.

This piece is excellent, exactly as I've come to expect. Glad to see you're still writing.

[Ben Taylor]

Same thought process, I know from a third party perspective it's also a lot easier to just toss a label out than to understand the minutia of a tough relationship. But damn it bummed me out haha.