we don't talk about poem

we don't talk about the cracks 

that lead to fissures

in a marriage

when little things matter 

and yet don't

when each wants different things 

and weight up whether to speak or not

like watching a tragedy unfold 

with one party oblivious 

and the other in pain 

____€__€€€€__

we don't talk about the cracks

that lead to fissures 

in a marriage 

18 years seems a good run 

when does one stop caring 

if the other is hurting 

as you stand at that road

you wonder 

are these cross roads

or just a bumpy stretch 

and is next word or action  

gonna make a difference 

words can slice the air in between

but so can silence 

do marriages die

with a whimper or bang

and can you even see it when it starts

and if you see if can you stop it

would you even want to try? 

why would we want to talk about these things 

to talk might make it real 

let's talk about the weather shall we

or the war in Ukraine

or that resounding slap 

let's talk about grocery 

and the school run

and who needs the car when

two well oiled cogs 

need never stop to chat 

to keep the machine moving 

let's talk about anything 

but us.