The whole horrid tale... 

Three Hearts Eclipsed
– a love triangle ballad –

I met him some years ago,
his bright eyes sung my heart;
my skin was soft, his eyes aglow –
we couldn't be apart.

The golden light of new love,
the beauty of the stars,
surrounded us – below, above –
our hearts as red as Mars.

But then he spoke of another,
her eyes – blue as sapphire;
a first love, his former lover,
the water to our fire...

Three years they'd danced in dreams
and then it fell apart.
Three years then had passed between
till my love warmed his heart.

True to me he thought to be,
he loved me well, and so did tell:
only she, a friend would be...
And thus his loyalty did sell.

--

Hemispheres divided us –
I knew of her and she of me...
But we could not predict the gusts
of his summer-winter breeze.

Many holidays he made,
far away and overseas...
And for our love I always prayed
that he would keep the keys.

Weeks and months and years flew past,
seasons blew away like wind,
but the love they'd lost had cast
a spell that led to sin.

So it was that a day came
when northern lights shone again,
and the dusts of Africa
were forgotten in her rain.

--

He returned with story fake,
with lies to buy more time;
Again, he told her heart to break
and so, for him, she lied.

Thus she saw her starlight dim
– wished I did not exist;
but while she was in wake of him
she saw not who he missed...

Clouds began to burden me,
the dusk of passion burned;
and far away she could not see
it was for her he yearned.

I heard the thunder rumble,
but truths he did omit;
our steps began to stumble
and he could not commit.

Drifting through our little home
were pieces of their history,
pieces from his love in Rome,
that clarified the mystery.

Secrets do not like to hide
and they bled from his lips.
Between us he could not decide
– three hearts in an eclipse...

--

My sorrow and my anger
swallowed me in darkness deep,
and for a time thereafter,
kept me from easy sleep.

In those weeks the days were grim
the skies as grey as lead;
truth be told, I still loved him
and many things were said.

I spat words of black contempt,
– he could not comprehend
the pain he'd caused at my expense,
the trust he must amend.

Then I spoke with her in person
– saw a mirror of my pain –
thus we drew back the curtain,
escaping envy's game.

We three danced a crossroads,
I bid him then to choose,
one of us must leave alone,
one of us must lose.

But bound by circumstances –
I was near and she was far –
he begged me for more chances
and crossed again her stars.

I confess I was surprised –
I thought he loved her more,
thought I was his second prize
since he'd loved her before...

I pushed my doubts away,
told myself he knew his mind.
Truly, I was flattered,
so I forgave his crimes.

--

Our story would continue
– for how long I knew not,
promises I trusted true
I hoped would never rot.

But he cut me with his silence,
and it seemed he would forget,
and the capital injustice
he seemed not to regret.

Banish their love, I could not
– I oft felt in the way.
I do confess, it hurt a lot
and on my mind it played.

The shame of infidelity
chained him and I in injury,
(but we shared a city so
I guess that's why he stayed with me.)

For a time I prayed for us –
for him and I to regain trust –
but diminished was our lust
and parting ways became a must.

--

'Twas I who left him in the end
– I knew it to be right.
My farewell broke his heart, he begged:
"Our love we will rewrite!"

I hated how I hurt him...
My parting brought him pain,
and though I was uncertain,
once more, we tried again.

--

It wasn't long before he sought
to escape the mess he'd wrought.
Exhausted of feeling caught,
he let the lessons come to nought.

So in the haze of wild days
– a weekend without me –
another girl there gave him praise
and he thought to be free.

This was far from what I thought
would bring an end to us,
I hid from him in days distraught,
with no more to discuss.

It is 'alone' he fears to be;
I now know this is true...
His game was up and he could see,
when I left him, he knew.

He needed someone quickly
– to replace my space –
but he couldn't let me go until
he'd found another face.

--

But she has textbook sound,
of his heart's profound rebound,
It is a formulaic tale –
one I do not doubt will fail.

And like me she knows not of
all that has passed before;
I know he will abuse her love
– it's his first love's he's looking for.

I've tried to tell him he is free
to be with you and forget me,
but my advice he thinks to be
revenge on his present plan C.

So I am closing all the doors
– I can't watch her love him –
while I know he's using her
to cover up his longing.

He was crippled by your loss,
I know – I was plan B.
But like a blinded beggar he
sees nothing but his memories.

So as is now obvious, he bounced between me and his ex for years before we figured out how serious it all was. He had told her all kinds of things to make her believe I wasn't important. E.g. "She is just my South African girlfriend, I am coming back for you.", "I just keep her around for female attention." etc. You know how it goes.

Of course, he pulled out all the stops to convince me to give him another chance. When I finally gave in, he left me for another girl two weeks later. Someone he'd just met at a party. Cliché, isn't it? But when you love someone, you want so badly to believe that they mean what they say.