Kayleigh Willis
'Fool for Love' by Heidi Hermanson
I love you like the lawnmower
loves the grass. The less
I see of you,
the better off I am.
You look beautiful but
I know about the dirt
you harbor. I loved
you like a singing bird,
happily perched. Your response
was…nothing. Can’t you
hear me? Please talk
to me, I begged
you. You move
silently, before you turn
away. So—I’m mowing
my lawn, sweating
a bit, and decide the shrubs
still need trimming too. I’ll need
my clippers, brand new,
hardware-store-approved
and shiny, probably in
anticipation of clipping
a few hearts.
I head to the shed.
When I open the door
I see pink ribbons
and a box of chocolate
where I usually lay the clips.
At this point I can
no longer stand it. I try
to slam the shed door shut
but apparently it’s on some
kind of pneumatic device
that will not let it shut.
From behind the shed
comes a line of male
dancers nattily attired,
1920s style. They’re singing
He loves you, he loves you
not as they pluck off
the respective petals
on the daisies! Once
again, I am caught
between a rock (the one
on my hand) and a hard
place (mostly in my mind). That’s
because when someone