She wants perfection,
though she says she doesn’t.
He feels the relationship is crushing him.
He has faults, to be sure,
an unorthodox lifestyle,
opinions that can surprise,
but shouldn’t,
he doesn’t pander people,
or agree with them without evidence.
She says he is insensitive,
unwilling to face his emotions.
She says he doesn’t take feedback well.
He doesn’t think the evidence supports that conclusion.
It’s not consistent with what others say about him.
Considering the onslaught of feedback
she has provided about his faults,
he feels he has done well to improve
where it made sense to do so.
But the improvements do not seem to satisfy her.
They placate her temporarily,
but she has an ideal in mind,
a perfect statue to carve out of flesh and bone and mind;
she’s patient and persistent.
Ah, but when she is finished,
perhaps even then she will be unhappy,
eventually toss her creation into the trash bin,
like the imperfect others before him.
He is becoming uncertain,
walking on eggshells around her,
afraid to speak and say the wrong thing.
He no longer defends himself.
He has failed.
And now he has decided
to take his weakened self elsewhere,
where imperfection is tolerated,
even celebrated.
She was right about one thing.
He will run away if he can.
No clinging,
no weeping,
no regretting,
just…
grab the scissors and cut the tether.
