Penalty

No longer gripped by the bonds of silence,
No longer bound by the covenant of a secret,
Truth flows from me presently.

What committed me to my deceit,
My selfish and jealous heart,
Was a tragedy.

In seasons past,
And all their encompassing years,
I loved thee.

Every day that you told me,
How you wanted to be loved,
I wanted to say you were loved by me.

My crime comes with a cost,
To live knowing that I lost my match,
That is my penalty.

You are not only the victim of my crime,
You are the warden of my sentence,
You are my best friend… faithfully.

I serve my sentence dutifully,
But do so most painfully,
Because I am reminded of you daily.