Single
When one has
previously been
seen as two,
a newly perceived
single woman
often suggests
the context of
a half-life,
an attempt
to double back
on her previous
secure identity.
I will never
accept the bromide
“my better half.”
It implies that a
part of me
is not only missing
but is somehow
inherently preferable,
so that my oneness,
my uniqueness,
needs to be complemented
by an extension of myself
in order for me
to be considered whole.
Let me forge a
new identity,
remembering the
sweetness of
my love
to anchor
my new life lived
as one alone.
Some observers,
who can only
dream in coupledom,
will continue
to watch for my
counterpart to appear.
About the Author:
Linda Kraus has taught English Film Studies at the college and university levels. She has written film criticism, short fiction and poetry since adolescence and has published both poetry and film criticism.
Lorie
Nice … and true, particularly for women, whose identities are many times chain-linked to their husbands.
Bob Winkley
Wonderful – And a whole hearted ‘Amen’!
Donald Gay
Yes, but for a lot of men, this axiom means we hold our spouse in such high esteem, as to make sure others know of their importance in life.
June Gordon
Thank you Linda Kraus for the reminder of our uniqueness. I do not perceive myself as “the other half” yet am joyful to experience the presence of a partner, a mate, or a friend. My mother’s repeated advice was”Learn to stand on your own two feet.”
Linda Lowe
Made me feel good reading it for both you and me. You have regained your sense of self as a single woman. This is a balanced healthy outlook, in my opinion, and an outlook that I don’t think many coming from a longstanding marriage have. As a now single woman who wants to stay that way, I find this an affirmation of my beliefs from someone I look up to.
Paula Boxer
Strong , self-aware — both the poem and the poet. Glad to see you have reached this place filled with the rhythms of life lived and to be lived.
XO, Paula