Poem: The Antagonist

The Antagonist

Before anything happened,
I had made the agreement.
It was not with you,
it was not your agreement
even if you did not agree:
you were no party to it,
and you have said before
you do not get involved,
do not take sides.

When you heard, though,
when you knew 
what we had agreed,
what I had asked for,
the consideration I sought
from my brother,

that was not acceptable
to you.  It did not matter
that we had spoken,
that you were not involved:
you knew it was a tender subject,
and you could not let it be,
had to poke at it,

and now you say to me
it is too late and cannot change,
but you are my mother
and I must just let it go
because otherwise
I am choosing to cause you pain.

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