The Third by Shan

Two lines in the sand, one for each code I stand on
Don't lie, and don't cheat, that was written in granite, not random
You broke what we promised, then you asked for expansion
8 years deep in it, I'm seeing it just as I could have ever imagined
You said “what if we open it, and heal through the damage?”
My chest got tight- yeah let me just share my wife while I’m still fucking shattered
I don’t want control, just an honesty standard
Don't sell me freedom if it's built with no manners
There’s a name, there’s a face, there’s a third in the room
A metamour filling the space with the truth
I check my pulse, try to swallow the doom
Smile through the tension
Like I’ve got something to prove
I’m unlearning possession
Relearning respect
I need consistency, not just vague intellect
If you want transparency, give me the deck
No hidden cards, no blurred-out text
We're calling it growth, I say show me the work
Show me your patience when I’m feeling hurt
Don’t gaslight my gut, don’t minimize dirt
I’m brave enough staying, or maybe just bizzerk
I’m balancing love with my dignity intact
Holding my heart while I’m mending the cracks
I’m not your only, I’m not your backup
I’m your partner—so act like I just may be enough
Now there’s a face to the ghost in the room
Metamour standing where trust used to bloom
I shake their hand while my heartbeat riots
Trying to stay grown, not go silent
I’m learning the difference: control vs fear
But I need consistency crystal clear
I don’t need details to torture my brain
I need honesty even when it stings
You say you’re choosing transparency now
Then don’t flinch when I ask “how?”
Don’t make me the villain for needing repair
I didn’t break this, I’m meeting it here
I’m not competing, I’m not replaced
But I won’t be reduced to an aftertaste
If love gets wider, so does the work
So does the patience, the truth, the hurt
Now the fire cools into something sharp
Boundaries drawn from a braver heart
I’m not here begging you to be mine
I’m here requiring truth- every time
Non-monogamy ain’t moral escape
It’s more responsibility, not more or less weight
More check-ins, more care, more repair
More showing up when I’m not okay
I’m rebuilding trust one action deep
Watching patterns, not chasing sleep
I forgive slowly, I don’t forget
But I won’t live hostage to the wreck
If we choose us, it’s eyes wide open
No hidden doors, no half-spoken
I’m healing loud, I’m standing tall
I won’t abandon myself at all

Ing Twi Demalah (71.169.130.142) -- Tuesday, January 13 2026, 09:51 am

We are men of action and consequence.....
Neither lies nor hyperbole become us. Indeed we who hold ourselves to a higher standard, expect those who know is to be forthright with us always. Shan, it has been a long number of years since I visited here, good to find you still writing. This is deep, painful, and so artfully expressed that I went from sadness to anger to longing with each sentence. Stay strong, stay true to yourself, have faith my friend. Your honor and courage are intact and I shall be praying for you.

Be well
Ing

Ing Twi Demalah (71.169.130.142) -- Tuesday, January 13 2026, 09:58 am

I realise.....
That the title of my last post was part of a line from "The Princess Bride" but, apropos in this instance. :-)

Ing

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