to the betrayed

just because a
friend
who has betrayed you
apologizes
for that betrayal
doesn't mean they
won't do it again in the future.
it doesn't diminish the act.
if it was easy once, it will be
easy for them again.
they have tasted your blood
and they will be back for more.
often times, the chemistry
wasn't there to begin with.
how can you call someone a friend
if their acts are not friendly?
this may sound sensitive,
and in truth, it is.
it is being sensitive to future
wrongs committed in the
name of friendship.
it is being sensitive to someone's
lack of character.
it is being sensitive to your own
neglected feelings.
isn't it easier to wash your hands
of dirt than to try to wipe
them clean in the mud?
friendship is a wonderful thing.
it should be respected.
honesty should be at its heart.
sympathy should pump the blood
of emotion through the veins of trust
to maintain the flow of that heart.
a common understanding
given to care and
sensibility to hold
the structure
of that friendship aloft.
we are as indebted to the
act of friendship as we are to
to the friend which it is branded.
everyone is aware of the difference
between right
and
wrong.
everyone has the ability to make
appropriate decisions which
reflect their ability
to maintain integrity.
and when that bond is lost,
it is our duty to
find the best path
which to walk away.
don't refer to it as
growing apart
when it is simply moving on.