The End of the Affair.(Poem)

 
THE END OF THE AFFAIR 
 
   Of course, with hindsight, a clean break 
   would have been sensible, hygienic, neat, 
   postage-stamps parted at the perforation, 
   neither with part of the other like torn meat. 
 
   He might have bottled up the hurt she did him 
   (the hurt he did her carefully set aside), 
   gone on his way blank-faced, controlled, 
   feeling himself right and dignified. 
 
   Self-righteousness and self-pity, unexpressed, 
   could have made armour good enough, 
   "We are civilized adults" a watchword for stoic 
   and silent and doing it tough. 
 
   When they had kissed and shaken hands, 
   and said ...