Family Dynamics And War
Family Dynamics and War
They both saw their faces reflected in each others tears
as they dismantled the love they once knew in angry words and fears.
Their embittered regrets stood crucified along the highway of
their misunderstandings and manipulated meanings.
Their bad habits had the taint of addiction and habit, of rote reactions,
of-ice pick-in-the-eyeball harms and afflictions;
and yet:
they seldom resolved or settled issues;
instead settling for desultory, bitter truces and family feuds and family wars;
settled for steely silences,
sex and affection wars,
pitting friends against friends,
family members against family members.
They conducted secret alliances,
forced people to take sides,
seeking to put themselves in the right at all times
and each other in the wrong,
forcing kids,
neighbors,
and even mere acquaintances
into a "You are on my side or you are on their side" choice of right or wrong
And yet:
each secretly wondered why the love had shriveled
until there was only a naked drive
toward being right,
toward wanting to control and manipulate,
toward the murder of all soft feelings,
of the loss of the ability to be truthful,
of ever admitting having wronged the other
of the ability to be humble,
of incessantly seeking power over
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poem by Lonnie Hicks
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