she wasn’t in the bedroom.
she wasn’t in the kitchen. she wasn’t
watching television.

I had this bad feeling.

I walked outside and crossed the lawn to
the neighbor guy’s place. He had this big picture window.
looking at it was like watching a cinemascope movie.
there they were on the big screen curled up together
on the sofa.

betrayal like a sucker punch.

so I went back to our place and threw
all her stuff on the front lawn. it was midnight
and the stuff was piled up out there
under a beautiful bright full moon.

suddenly I felt a better.
I felt like a man instead

of
a mark
a chump
dirt
wiped from
shoes onto
a doormat.

it was a miracle nobody stole the stuff
considering the neighborhood we lived in.

they were
married and have been for more than thirty years.
she found the right man.

it is said time heals but that wound
had a scab on it for decades. it is not offended manhood
or anything like that. rather a man should never
trust a woman with a knife

especially
in the middle of the night
when his

back is turned.