I outwitted the cops
of my thoughts.
My stomach did somersaults,
misfits trailed me—
speed—a wrecking ball
collided with regret.
I should have known
this would happen before marriage.
Sirens blaring, I went to the station
to bail Gloria out of the big house.
My guilt trip hit a curb of shame,
popped sanity, rolled on rims.
Sparks collided with the crime
of breaking Gloria’s heart.
Handcuffed to my scars,
and indicted behind bars
for stealing her kisses.
I can’t find sorrow
in sleeping with a woman
who looks like she does.
I shed tears,
putting on a show,
apologizing in Gloria’s arms—
an immature mistake,
but ignorance screams
it’s not an excuse to strong-arm
the love out of her lungs.
Life without Gloria
would sentence me to death.
As luck would have it,
her stories of redemption
spilled over love,
and etched her heart—
sinners of a different kind.
Gloria said sleeping together
before marriage was like cheating,
so we fell short of her faith,
but it brought us to our fate.
She outwitted us both.
We cheated with ourselves.
For Gloria’s wedding dress,
I will pay.
And yes, this time, I’m serious.
She’s my life.
We’ll never cheat with each other again.
I released Gloria from the custody
of my regret for an autumn
wedding at a gazebo.