Marriage Negotiations
I have the power of persuasion
the color of the paint
where the flowers are planted
where to go on vacation
I have no power over what
he feels strongly about
I know when that moment has been reached
I know it
by a tone in his voice
by his posture
by a look in his eye
he will not be negotiated
It’s been said I get my way
appearing to be a strong negotiator
I am not
he does not care about those things
he does have his bottom line
he will not deviate.
3 thoughts on "Marriage Negotiations"
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A song I despise is Sinatra’s My Way. Smug, arrogant and wrong. As your poem suggests: Everything’s a negotiation or a capitulation. That’s not just marriage: it’s everything. Nothing deviates.
The lovely thing here is the way you clearly love and admire his backbone. He may be gentle Grampa Larry but he has his boundaries. Fuck around with him and find out.
Who knew from the marriage vows what lines we would have to negotiate later.