Gemma
Can you imagine being the unloved wife?
He wrote poems about the other woman—
Lovely sonnets.
She was his guide, his muse, his inspiration—
But he did not write about you.
Your marriage was one of a long-ago promise,
While you were both children, your parents matched you up.
In his exile, when the darkness of night came,
Did he think of her?
Years in the future, you will be cast aside,
Forgotten about.
Unloved, unwanted, insignificant!
How could he do this to you?
You, the mother of his children!
Everyone knew of his betrayal and your failure.
Shameless, selfish man!
They will both be famous.
People will talk about his undying love for her—
Who was this Beatrice? What was so special about her?
Why did Dante love a woman he only met twice?
Your heart may be bitter, Gemma, but rest in peace,
Knowing he suffered over his own creation,
For he can never have her
Not even in death.
“Gemma” was initially published in the 2024 version of Enjambed .