What is the cost of loving you, sir?
A slap, or two, or three or four?
Even more than that
If I tip my hat
Can we make that none?

What is the cost of loving you, dearie?
I can see you're asking for quite a lot of money from me.
Can we make that none?

What is the cost of loving you, Ma Chérie?
Another lover, but one who I think
Is not your lover?
Can we make that none?

What is the cost loving you, sweetheart?
You're not so sweet I see
If you want to beat me
Like eggs in a cup
Shattered, bleeding
Can we make that none?

What is the cost of loving you, handsome?
Some hate, not from you.
But from bystanders.
Who
Seem
To
Be
Unable
To
Shut
Their
Mouths
To
Stop
Pouring
Out
Hate
Towards
Us
Over
Nothing.

I find that people
Will always yell when
Something
Doesn’t
Work.
Their computers.
Their phones.
Their WiFi.
Their spouse.
Thier parents.
Their kids.
Their students.
Their employees.
Anyone.
Just to hurt their feelings
Or destroy friendships
Relationships
And silence

If you look
At this poem
A little
Bit
Closer
tilting your head
a little bit
to the right
You can
see
A city
Of poetry
And words
And letters
I don't know
If
Anyone
Noticed this
But
It is
Interesting to me
Because
Words
Poetry
And all these
Letters are making
A city that is
Filled
With
Love
Horror and darkness
Hope and light
Madness
Mystery
Oddness
Stories of the past
The present
Our futures
In this
City
Of
Poetry
Words
And letters