The tug-of-war with words refusing to
behave, to fit the line that I’ve request-
ed simply has to stop! We can’t go on.
Our passionate embraces don’t deny
the struggles and the awkward ways we kissed.
Relationships with language do not work.
To entertain a love affair, attempt
devotion with these fickle letters; one
should run from any notion that the words
could possibly not stray; they love to roam.
I’ll write no more. I’ll fondle no more nouns
or verbs, leave pesky adjectives alone
and wildly misbehaving adverbs may,
as far as I’m concerned, go quietly
away. It’s over. Breakup time has come.
So words, take all your letters and go home.