He Stayed

by Jennifer Brown Banks

He stayed, 

After the dance of romance had lost its footing,

 

Through cold nights

And heated arguments,

Bearing the weight of the baggage,

Left by men who came before him,

Who didn’t quite measure up.

 

He stayed,

Held my hand through fears,

(Real and imagined)-

 And life’s turbulent storms,

Tending to things that needed to be tinkered with around the house,

And other special projects my body had long before learned to live without.

He stayed.

 

He stayed,

Long beyond my expectations,

Like a family visitor,

With a sense of entitlement,

And a hard luck story.

He stayed.

 

Through my doubts,

And his resolve,

 That he could win me over,

Or wear me down,

With enough time and wine.

 

He stayed …