He sacrificed
the essence of his life
for her
for he had given her
his very soul
yet still he lived

but somehow without will
fulfilling expectations
following blind conventions
provider of her every need

and she wallowed still
in misery
while days became
so long and dread for him
he could no longer feel
for all he saw as real

became a play of shadows
on the walls of his enclosure
pain echoing around about
mind unfocused
avoiding all the doubt

that plagued some distant part of him
known yet undefined
while still somehow he kept his mind
focused on all else

for to face the pain
the guilt, remorse
his only other course
would mean the end

of promises unkept
within the vows
that shattered in sheer loneliness
of time

 Michaelette?