seeing the pattern

she used to tell me
each morning when I woke up
that today
the sheriff is coming to arrest you.

at first it was amusing,
but as she kept it up,
I began to worry.

I wondered what I had done.

she continued on as we were separated
in the house.
still sleeping
in the same bed.

she had a boyfriend on the side
which I slowly began to find out about.

if you don't leave, she'd say,
i'm going to accuse you
of horrible things.

I remember staring at the ceiling
and thinking
i'll never ever be with a crazy
woman again.

twenty years later, it was worse.
this one too had a boyfriend,
and an ex husband still in her harem
of losers
that adored her,
and once again
I was staring at the ceiling,

saying, never again
will I allow this to happen.

I began to see a pattern.