I lived my young adulthood as a wife,
and though my purpose isn’t to disparage,
I look upon that portion of my life
and can’t perceive much benefit to marriage.
For now that I’ve a schedule all my own
of work and family and exercise,
I realize that I’d rather be alone
than play a part of coupled compromise.

My marriage was a mess of mingled fears
and income merged to buy the house we kept.
We loved and argued over twenty years,
remembered mostly now by how I wept.
And while in fear or sadness I need friends,
my days unmated justly serve my ends.