When We Talk About Love

published in THE PARK BENCH MASSACRE

How’s living in the city? they ask
And, like all hip young new Yorkers,
He tells them
It’s great.
It’s always great. I love it
And he brags about his job and his woman

But that is not real love
When you really love something
You don’t brag
You say
she’s driving me crazy
She’s a god damn nag!
You say
I cant take anymore.
Those are the words of love.

When you love something
You act stuck
You say
This town is a trap
Nothing ever happens here
You say

God damn
this thing never works.
Because we love machines.
Its seems warped but its true.
But only realy love machines
when they malfunction
That’s what gives them life.
We don’t say
Oh, I love that thing
It works like a dream
Because that is not real love.
Instead we say
That car,Sure,
It’s a piece of shit,
But
I’ve
been driving it
for the past ten years
And
it hasn’t given out on me yet.
That is real love.