12/31/2024
“Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog” by Taylor Mali
Falling in love is like owning a dog
First of all, it’s a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York.
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you’re walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain’t no one going to mess with you.
Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.
Is love good all the time? No!
No! Love can be bad.
Bad, love, bad!
Very bad love.
Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don’t you ever do that again!
Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise.
It will run you around the block and leave you panting.
It pulls you in several different directions at once,
or winds around and around you
until you’re all wound up and you cannot move.
But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common
but love stop and talk to each other on the street.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love,
lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.
