He stands

He stands

Betrayal reflected in his unshed tears

Incredulity etched across his pain-lined face.

He had not seen this coming.

Everything within

Watching her fragile vulnerability

wants to recapture previous tenderness

but all he feels is anguish.

As yet

He does not know

Amid the turmoil of his swirling thoughts

That this will be his finest hour.

Poem by Jeannie Kendall, reproduced with permission