Lying on the couch, I could hear A upstairs playing the first line to the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood". I'd always liked the tune of this song, but found the words senseless. The evening before, a girlfriend and I had been discussing our previous marriages and suddenly, into my head dropped these poignant lyrics:
(sung to the tune of "Norwegian Wood")
You may not have known
how what you said cut to the bone.
I, wounded inside, bled every time;
part of me died.
But nobody noticed my pain, because I carried on.
Yet slowly but surely, the love that had held me was gone.
I tried to explain how your abuse
caused me such pain.
You never could hear;
I had to conclude: you didn't care.
I drew back inside
where it was safe, where I could hide.
You thought me so hard;
you couldn't see all of my scars.
If "couldn't" or "wouldn't" was primary, I'll never know;
but you didn't love me in ways that would let my heart know.
If we had known sooner the anger that burned in your soul,
we might have been allies against what could only control.
And when we arise,
we will each see with clearer eyes.
No longer alone,
then we will know as we are known.
Then we will know as we are known.
I am (as always) aware that this is only my view and only a partial view, but as far as it goes it is truth, and I found it poignant. Perhaps it will speak to some other women, or men, out there who have experienced something similar in a relationship.
