"Pain Is An Expensive Lover"
Pain is an expensive lover . . .
It always wants your attention
and believes it will literally die
at any moment.
So it wants you,
it needs you,
All of you.
When you’re still,
it feels not secure
but placated.
Then,
when you’re least active,
it shows its displeasure
and plugs in its shock cables,
As if merely reaching for basil
in your pantry.
When you submit
it smiles
reassuring you that it is not evil,
But merely lonely,
between relationships,
And seeks to be a positive influence on you,
citing how rich your sleep has become
since moving in.
Your attempts to plan an escape
are covert
And must be done
donning
all white clothing,
rosary beads, or
Promising to redo your 4th Step
from scratch!
By the time Pain
has finally lost its grip on you,
It has found another
unsuspecting host
Who is just as surprised about its arrival
as you are about its departure.
June 2023
