The Foolish Woman

by Cheryl Merrick

Sighing deeply,
she begins another day,
attempting to dull the pain of her loneliness
with constant activity.

“My children need this. My house needs that.”
And so she hides behind
a sense of importance,
denying her failure.

“After all, who can expect a marriage
  to be fun and exciting
  after all these years?
That’s just the infatuation of the young.
Our marriage is fine.
We don’t argue and we get along all right.”

The Deceived

by Cheryl Merrick

And so the man and the woman,
Longing for love,
give all but themselves.
Living out their lives
shrouded in mantles of self pity.

Lacking faith in themselves, their partner, and The Lord,
They withdraw from each other.
Anxiously justifying their actions
with endless lists of their mate’s imperfections.