closeted crying...a real man's response
Tears in the bathroom
What can one do about tears in the bathroom?
On my side of the panel, fear and concern held me in it's grip
I tried to turn the doorknob...it was locked
I lightly tapped upon the door
No response
In a soft voice I whispered my disquiet
No reply
Abruptly, I began mumbling words of concern with rising ire
This act only increased the sobbing in number and volume
I now had become frantic
All calm reason had disappeared
I began pounding on the door
Screaming now, I demanded that she open this door
Finally, beyond the door, a cracking, woesome voice was heard
'No...go away'
Well, that did it
I ran to my toolbox and fetched a screwdriver
I shall remove that door from it's hinges, I thought
The first two of the three hinges were easily loosened
Meanwhile the crying became more frantic and much, much, louder
The last set of screws were stuck fast to the hinge
I thought, they are rounded off and rusted, can't get them out
I decided that a man's gotta' do what a man's gotta' do
So, I pried open and grabbed the top of the door
Out of control, this had become dangerously personal now
I wrenched the door free
Tearing out a section of the frame where the hinge had held fast
A loud piercing shriek came bellowing from her mouth
As our eyes met, she screamed at me
'What in the hell is wrong with you?'
Suddenly I was at a loss for words
I muttered 'I thought something was wrong...that you needed help'
'Oh my god' she said
'Yes, I need help'
'Can you mend a broken fingernail?'
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Posted: Jul 2011
About this poem:
I suppose that should anything serious ever happen to his wife, he might blow the house up around them. That'll fix it...
Comments (9)
Out of control, this had become dangerously personal now... From this telling line, it's clear how much the narrator cares! Having broken not one but two yesterday while volunteering at the NUL Annual Conference, I can well relate to the trauma! Nice story! Now, tell me, 'Can you mend a broken fingernail?'