Support For Life

She came home one day

And said--

‘I want to go to London’

So he packed everything up

And they went to London

Just on her say-so

Just like that

And when she got to London
And freaked out

Freaked out like she had no idea

What she was supposed to be doing there

Wouldn’t you know

They had to come right back

And he said that was fine

Just went right along with it

Meanwhile we’re all telling him

Something’s wrong

Something’s just not right

And he doesn’t want to hear it

Because he likes being

Supportive

Well, okay

Okay

Now they’re splitting up

And he wants all this sympathy

For the things he had to do

And the sacrifices

He had to make

For the jobs he gave up

And the opportunities he lost

He wants us to feel bad

And label her the problem

Say she was a bad wife

Well, here’s the thing

She was sick

She was sick and everybody knew it

Back when I was younger

We used to say people were, uh, impulsive

Like it was quirky

Like it was a quirk

Or a character thing

But now we know better

Now we know

If you take your whole life

Your whole great life

And toss it in the garbage

To pursue absolutely nothing

Just because comfort makes your skin crawl

Then you have something wrong with you

And when a person is like that, it’s--

It’s not to say you can’t love them

But at that point

You can’t support them

Support becomes something different

With a person like that

It becomes enabling

And he knew that

He knew that

And either he was okay with it

Because it made him look good

Or maybe he just likes

Going around saving people

Until he can’t anymore

And then he just bails on them

I don’t know

I really don’t

But different people

Need different kinds

Of support

And you know

The best support

Is the kind you can’t see

The kind that kicks your ass

While you’re giving it

The kind the other person

Might not want

But need, I--

I know I’m not the be-all, end-all

When it comes to saying

How a marriage should be, but--

I’m not willing

To sign off on this narrative

That he’s some kind of hero
And she’s some kind of mess

That just seems too easy for me

She kept writing checks

And he kept cashing them

And he waited until they were out of money

Before he said anything, well--

Well

She’s sick, you know

She’s sick, and I just--

I just want to know

What’s his excuse?