Forgiven Sins by Ann Christine Tabaka

 I was not the first. I was not the last.
I was not even in-between.
Mountains that once sheltered us
have crumbled into dust.
I should have known better.
Following a time-warp of deception.
Amassing notches, collecting lies.
Our vows = empty words. Empty bed.
Withered love. Counting, and still
counting. The cowboy and the Earl.
He played the game so well.
Painting synchronized illusions
for his audience of whores.
Twisted truths among the ashes.
Burning tongues of fire.
Another victim, another quest.
Promises that inflicted pain,
spread on the path to doom.
He belongs to her now.
He is no longer my penance.
I do not know. I do not care.
I am free of him. Free of my sin.

Ann Christine Tabaka was nominated for the 2017 Pushcart Prize in Poetry. She is the winner of Spillwords Press 2020 Publication of the Year, her bio is featured in the “Who’s Who of Emerging Writers 2020 and 2021,” published by Sweetycat Press. She is the author of 15 poetry books, and 1 short story book. She lives in Delaware, USA. She loves gardening and cooking.  Chris lives with her husband and four cats. Her most recent credits are: Eclipse Lit, Carolina Muse, Sparks of Calliope; The Closed Eye Open, North Dakota Quarterly, Tangled Locks Journal, Wild Roof Journal, The American Writers Review, Burningword Literary Journal, Muddy River Poetry Review, The Silver Blade, Pomona Valley Review, West Texas Literary Review, The Hungry Chimera, Sheila-Na-Gig, Fourth & Sycamore.
*(a complete list of publications is available upon request)