Lesson Learned

Sadness bundled with regret.
Throw in the clarity of knowing 
That intimacy is gone even though
You have a partner.

That is a loneliness more punishing 
Than having no one.
You know what you’ve lost.
And the ache is piercing
Because you know the exact 
Limits of love.

You learn the lesson nobody intends
To teach you: love can exist without 
Intimacy and it is a cold bed.
But it’s your bed now.

© 2023 Jeff E. Brown. All rights reserved.