A thinly veiled account…

__________ survived being lonely
__________ held out for longer than __________ thought possible

The problem was that __________ and __________
spoke different languages

For __________, it was all about giving
doing those little things here and there
remembering unexpected details
about the things __________ liked
what made __________ happy

What __________ wanted was touch
but years of isolation
long stretches of going without
meant that the most innocuous gesture involving touch
would always be misconstrued

For example, if __________ needed a shoulder to cry on
__________ would immediately form an attachment to __________
despite the fact that a shoulder to cry on
was only a shoulder to cry on
and did not indicate anything else

Because __________ could not distinguish
between genuine interest and friendliness
__________ never learned to trust instinct
As a result, even if __________ were actually interested
__________ could not reciprocate

As for what __________ was all about
__________ had not the slightest idea
__________ knew what __________ liked
and was happy to give __________ what __________ wanted
but __________ never figured out how __________ expressed love

So, __________ and __________ said enough
to want to be together
but __________ and __________ never figured out
what it would take to stay together

__________ assumed the worst
__________ was simply confused

Now both are on their own
__________ lives in that familiar world of isolation
where __________ gets everything __________ wants
and __________ gets nothing __________ wants
and life goes on without __________

(8 September 2017)