This masquerade

[Biggus]

When I reflect back
On our time together
People were amazed
By my patience
And my quiet resolve
To maintain,
The status quo.
Such forbearance
And fortitude
In the face
Of her constant betrayals
My endurance
And boundless tolerance
Astounded everyone
But to claim any virtue
Would be dishonest
Because it was so calculated
I was not blind
To her indiscretions.
And to our friends
My capacity for forgiveness
Seemed to far exceed
Her ability to shame me
But it was I
Who was the dishonest one
I maintained an air
Of cool dispassion
In an effort
To give her space
And freedom
So as not to drive her away
I wore the mask
Of the patient husband
But my noble efforts
Were in vain
As I appeared to her,
Merely indifferent
And I drove her away anyway
I should have been honest
True to my feelings
I should have discarded
All pretence
And removed the mask

[Bar22do]

Teaches a lot about honesty and especially --- misuderstandings!!! Hope the poem is not personal! I find it interesting, but a bit prosey and would prefer longer lines, sth like (if I may):

When I reflect back on our time together,
people were amazed by my patience and my quiet resolve
to maintain the status quo. Such forbearance and fortitude
in the face of her constant betrayals, my endurance and
boundless tolerance astounded everyone.
But to claim any virtue would be dishonest, because
it was so calculated. I was not blind to her indiscretions.
And to our friends my capacity for forgiveness seemed
to far exceed her ability to shame me. But it was I
who was the dishonest one. I maintained an air of cool dispassion
in an effort to give her space and freedom.
So as not to drive her away, I wore the mask
of the patient husband, but my noble efforts were in vain,
as I appeared to her merely indifferent. And I drove her away
anyway - I should have been honest, true to my feelings,
I should have discarded all pretence and removed the mask.

It seems to me that you don't really need: "constant", "boundless", "cool" and "noble". And, would choose "the mask of a patient husband" instead of the definite article.

Thanks for sharing this, Biggus,

best of all from Bar

[Biggus]

Thanks Bar I appreciate your advice.
Paul

[Delta40]

A very honest piece Biggus, without pretense or a mask. One can't help but feel the futility of choices if, in the end, the results are the same.

[MorpheusSandman]

I also applaud the honesty of the piece, but I'm also with Bar in that I think it would work better in longer lines or even as prose poetry. For me, I don't like to read poetry written in long, prose sentences merely chopped up into short lines as all it does is constantly disrupt the stream of thought

[Biggus]

Thanks Delta

[Biggus]

Thanks Sandman

[deryk]

I really like how the poem imitates the speaker's final thoughts, how the language, somewhat pretentious- albeit always dignified and relentless- expresses the narrative as much as the action of the poem. The language informs the speaker which in turn informs the narrative. Nicely done.