Image: John Alunan
Do you take this……….
I do.
Do you promise to love, honour and………
I do.
Vows.
Sacred vows.
I made them
My commitment.
I cherished you
Revered you
Lived my life in your shadow
So enamoured was I.
Your life was my life.
You were me.
But you changed
Mellowed you said
Youthful exuberance diminished.
You became pre-occupied
I no longer excited you
Gave you reason to live.
You shredded hope
Splintered my life
Fragmented my soul
The ultimate humiliation
Cuckolding me.
My dignity smashed
My self a wasting wretch.
Around me I watched
Our vows erode
A laughing stock
An object of ridicule
No longer a person
All substance ground down
Not even I recognised me.
Today I sat in silence
Folding paper cranes,
Believing
That with one for each year of my life
I can make a wish.
‘To love cherish and obey
From this day onwards.’
Anything to slow this crushing.
Written for: http://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/photo-challenge-30-crashing-cranes/

This is deep and agonizing Michael, there is nothing quite so terrifying as not being to recognize yourself I have been there as well and it is not a place I ever wish to revisit
Thanks Yves, this was an excellent image to write, very challenging.
I agree it was a challenging image but it was also emotionally powerful so I couldn’t pass it up haha
Your words go perfectly with the photo, Michael. I felt all the emotion.
There are many who will identify with this. Deeply emotional and full of hurt – very nice job and perfect with the picture.
This piece is so very real. I can only hope you didn’t have to go through such an experience.
As a child of a divorced couple… I can see from both sides the dismay of broken vows.
A neighbor of ours has a divorced child who got remarried… and when the vows were read for the second time all she could do was grimace and wonder why did the first set for her child brake?
This one is so moving. And oh how I love the ending. I admire the way you can take something so sad yet somehow make it so beautiful.
Sad that it had to come to such a situation. Life could be just unfair! Making paper cranes could help though for just a few moments! Great emotional lines Michael!
Hank
Very powerful!! 🙂 🙂
Thank you so much Helen.
Oh my this is very deep and heartfelt…sad to see how one can invest so much and be consumed…losing oneself…how did you know that I have had several calls from youths like this…if only they knew …
Thanks Oliana I guess it’s relevant to all ages.
You would think it would get easier over time
Sadly it doesn’t.
Your pain is palpable in this write Michael. Losing our own identity, to be in a relationship where it is one sided is soul destroying. Excellent writing my friend.
Thank you Jenny, this was a fascinating prompt to write to.
This is profound in depth and longing….the pain is palpable and oh so easy to relate to. Breathtakingly put to words.
Hello CC how good to see you back a commenting on my blog. I have missed you…so thanks for your kind words.
Opps I have may have mixed you up with another CC…..but thanks anyway.