an unrehearsed universe

Message

The message was short
Business-like to the point

"I’ve met someone else."

No apology
or explanation, although
either one
would have been nice.

And what does that mean,
"I’ve met someone else?"

Spoken so casually,
As if saying I have to do laundry
I went to buy groceries
I tripped and fell
into someone else

Why not say,
"I liked her." 
Or,
"I fucked her."

Or, "I don’t love you
maybe never have,
maybe never will."
Or more honestly still,
"I already fucked you,
time for something new."

That at least
I could understand,
would be something
to retell
to all our friends

How to divide them?
Did that never occur to you
that we would have to
split them somehow?
Was that not reason enough
to stay?

Some variation of
how he done me wrong

How I am a victim
of a scheming hussy
and a conniving liar.

They shake their heads
and fling gratuitous insults,
out of pity mostly,
grateful that it was not them.

Hiding their mockery behind
sympathetic laughter
for the girl who can’t keep a man
because
he met someone else.

That sympathy unwelcome but
a comfort, however small, 
since you have left me none.


Now I can’t help but wonder
If maybe I
should have seen this coming

Met someone else...
Does that mean
you love her or that
I wasn’t enough and does it
matter anymore?

Amongst the scattered pieces
where the answering machine
used to be.