Fools

If I am a fool for loving with
abandon, for wanting to dedicate
myself to a woman at the drop
of a hat, for deciding one person
could be my world just with one glance,
then let fools rule the day.
If I am doomed because of
my belief in the overarching
power of romance, then let us
all be doomed. If I am destined
to be alone, aching for the company
of another, and if that solitude
helps me realize what matters
to me most, I'll take the loneliness.
If I thought my perennial solitary
state were somehow at odds with my
dreams of one day loving a woman
in an epic sort of way, I would
never get out of bed. If we are fools
for wanting to give our hearts and
souls away as if they were so much
candy, let the candy stripers win.

(2008)