Monday, January 30, 2006

Closing The Book

It surprised me when I swept off
all the books on the shelf. I thought
I had long since spent my passion
in purchasing your faithless heart.

You feel uncertain of our life,
you tell me. What you mean is your
better love than me may still be
out there. Why settle for less here?

So go. Leaving is how you show
how little you care, how little
you understand the rarity
of love in this non-fiction world.

If this were a story, you would
come back broken and I would let
you love me or even better
introduce you to my new love.

Since this is not, I will pick up
the scattered books and set them back
on the shelf, being sure to set
yours to one side to box later.

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.

5 comments:

Gloria Williams said...

I really like this poem. Particularly the line "...the rarity of love in this non-fiction world." I meet so many people who don't realize this. They treat their relationships lightly, and they end up alone as a result of their own actions.

SBB said...

I think that was the impulse behind this poem, Gloria. To comment on how people leave for so-called greener pastures even though they're leaving behind something valuable and the foolishness of such actions.

Slim said...

I think my favorite part is:
"I had long since spent my passion
in purchasing your faithless heart." It's very dramatic.

SBB said...

I think poems should be dramatic in some way. They're shortened communication, a quick way to the soul.

night-rider said...

Ditto to all the above from me - you know I just love your poems.