Mutually Exclusive

Mutually exclusive,
We feint around the frost
Of a friendship that once was..
The edges, crisp.
Once, I felt we’d recapture
After the fog of recrimination
Of “judgmental politeness” dissipated,
Warmth.
But with time I’ve grown
Accustomed to the distance
We bob and weave and multitask
And do what it takes to fill the days and hours
Efficiently, effortlessly.
I’ve been accused of forgiving
Too easily, not plumbing the depths of blame,
Content to flare and move on
Caring more to mend than to point fingers
I prefer this.
But this cold, this draft, this silence and
Dare I say? Smugness, it’s changed me
Worn me down, left me of all ungodly things
Aloof
I don’t even like that word, do you?
And yet I enact it, content to
Keep you at a distance as you
Keep me beyond your borders
What a waste.

I've become an obligation.