Clueless (Gaslighting)
Relationship Issues

Clueless (Gaslighting)

November 2025
Back to Poetry

I've been silent for months,

not out of spite, but survival.

You call it distance,

I call it protecting what's left of me.

You promised to call me back,

I knew you wouldn't, of course.

I took that breath like a last straw,

let the moment stretch until it hurt less,

scared of hearing what I already knew.

Procrastinating, babe...

I didn't ghost you,

I just got tired of being the only one honest.

You really think I'm foolish?

No.

Just tired.

And if we're choosing violence,

being ruthless,

then congratulations, you win.

Because I won't do it.

We should be romancing,

somewhere in Jamaica,

the sea kissing sand,

your body pressed to mine.

We should be making love in Lagos,

waking the neighbors

with laughter and tangled sheets.

We should be building something,

not breaking it with secrets.

But word travels...

and apparently you're still messing with your ex.

I'm not vexed,

just curious how you juggle stories

and forget which lie you set down where.

So don't ask me how I know, darling,

your patterns talk louder than your lips.

At least you ain't alone in the confusion.

Maybe it's better,

better you sit with yourself,

better you hear your own echoes.

When you're done thinking with your head

instead of your heart,

I hope the truth hits your chest hard,

reminding you you're not bulletproof.

And even then,

even shattered,

I'll still be the one

capable of bringing your heartbeat back...

just not sure

you'll deserve it

when you finally realize

what you lost.

— Guy B. Duhon Jr.

Leave a comment

What did this poem stir in you?