
Melissa Ingoldsby
Stories (1297)
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Dear Jane
Dear Jane, I’ll be leaving her by the time summer is over. Before Fall, way before the leaves change. My family is aware of her abuse, finally. I’ve been telling them of everything she’s done. It’s finally becoming a reality. I have been depressed for what seems like decades. I want to see you, talk to you, have tea with you.
By Melissa Ingoldsby3 years ago in Poets
Dear Jane
Dear Jane, I truly appreciate your support in this, my dearest friend. I understand your frustration. I truly do. I only want for our friendship to go back to the way it was before too. I am working with my family to get away safely from her. I will keep you posted and let you know as soon as I can. I swear it. I’m so sorry you cannot relay to me everything as you usually have, this is a painful situation for you and I am angry —it makes me want to expedite it.
By Melissa Ingoldsby3 years ago in Poets
Dear Jane
Dear Jane, It took me a few hours to settle the words you penned me, as I was confused over your questions and your response. You are someone I truly appreciate and adore. I know it is not your fault for my absence in this timeframe as it has been a delicate and painful situation for me, but in spite of it all, I have maintained my commitment to being up front with you and communicating with you everything that has occurred, even as I was afraid my wife would find out and become enraged by the communication. You of all know my terrible situation here. You must know this is not any sort of “safety” that I go back to. You of all people know I do not “obey” her, in fact I fight her and defend myself daily from her disrespect and cruelty. I have been brutally abused for countless years by my mad wife, physically and emotionally and you know that when you go into a relationship when someone has this uneven misuse of power over someone, they will manipulate, they will emotionally black mail, they will threaten with financial ruin and physical threats, they will torment you—until you give them what they want. The worst part of all of this trying to leave. She makes it worse than hell. Her own family has tormented me and made me feel as if I was the crazy one. I thought you understood. I’ve been explaining this to you for months. These sorts of relationships aren’t as easy to escape as it looks. Just because I am a man, does not mean it is so easy for me to leave. I’ve tried to leave several times. It’s not so easy.
By Melissa Ingoldsby3 years ago in Poets
Dear Jane
Dear Jane, I was elated beyond anything you can imagine to hear from you! I truly would appreciate a letter in the post, since my wife’s wandering eyes may be peeking through, even if she says she may not “care” I know it is a falsehood and I feel it’s a trap. She is insanely jealous and mad, she merely knows how to hide it better. I see her anger come through, I see it trying to stay hidden, I see the pain, the sadness, the ferocity, the fear. How is your art faring? I always miss you even if I do not say it everyday, I feel it. Do you miss me? Would you be sad if my letters somehow stopped?
By Melissa Ingoldsby3 years ago in Poets
Tactile
my lover, my only lover, the only lover I have and need and want and kiss and smile for and love Hands me a warm cup of tea, full to the top of heavy cream and no sugar as our hands touch against the hot mug and I let them linger, our faces close and I feel my heart hum a straight line like a train leaving a station, going to meet my darling, to pick him up and take him to our paradise. My love has us watch silly movies like Tommy Boy, we cuddle and his hands wrap around my thigh as he pulls me into the crevices of his body, the spaces that I close up as we become one— and I watch as he cracks up almost in tears from laughing so hard at the silliness of the antics of the road trip comedy, the vibration of his laughter tickling my skin like something more intimate than a kiss
By Melissa Ingoldsby3 years ago in Poets
I am grateful to Vocal for giving me my voice back
Vocal truly did give me my voice back. I had a long period of time where I didn’t write, almost ten years or more. I couldn’t write. It was beyond difficult. Motherhood was a challenge but so was depression. Especially if you weren’t aware that you were depressed.
By Melissa Ingoldsby3 years ago in Geeks



