Left

After the words you spoke
        the choices you made and
        the lies you told
            as you betrayed her,
      how am I supposed to
         be there for you now?

I don’t know how
  to even be your friend right now
      much less the best way
          to care for you and
              speak consistent truth to you
                    at the same time,
        rather than just
              scream at you
              punch your face in and
              kick you in the nuts
                      hard.

It would be so worth it
  if I could make you see
    how selfish you are
    how stupid your decisions are
    how walking out on your family
           is never going to be okay.

You think you’re smart,
  that you know better
    than what everyone
      who cares for you
           is telling you.

But you’ve rejected
     basic
     simple
     intrinsic knowledge
       that no one
           should ever have to explain to you.

You don’t trust it
  or us
    over the noise of culture
          telling you to just do what makes you happy,
                even if happy
                  only lasts the night.

So you did
  what you thought
    would make you happy.
You deserted your family
  and became a weekend dad,
    posting pictures
      of your seemingly perfect life
           that no longer has your wife in it,
    spending the rest of your time
      with all those women
           you left your family for,
               rather than bother to
                      keep your word
                      do the work and
                      remain faithful
                        to the one you chose
                          and who chose you
                                     first.

You’re only listening
  to what you want to hear.
You’re muting God
  because you don’t like what He says,
  because you know full well
      that what you are doing
           is wrong,
  but you don’t want to feel it
              don’t want to think about it
              don’t want to acknowledge it
    or you would have to
      give up your new lifestyle
        and admit you don’t actually know
                 everything,
           and your pride
             is worth more to you
                 than your marriage.

Now your daughter sees
  what she should expect
    from her future husband:
         lie after lie
         broken vows
              and
         abandonment.
Now your son sees
  that it’s okay to break his promises
         if he feels like it
       and blame his bad behavior
         on anyone but himself.
               That’s what Daddy does.

And what happens
  after all of this
    when you realize
               you still aren’t happy?