but what now

she says that she knew
right away that it wasn't going to work.
then a kid
came along,
then another.
a cat a dog.
a fence around
the new house.
relatives and neighbors
tied
strings to us,
we were tethered by our
own doing,
with schools and sports,
weekend barbeques,
unable to escape a loveless
life
together.
but now i'm free, twenty
five years
later.
what's mine is mine,
with no compromise.
but what now?