you all speak of God and of angels like
looking at one won't burn your eyes and
touching one won't singe your skin and
smelling one won't scorch your lungs

you forget their thousand eyes and
warrior tendencies--
their ability to detach and to fly and
to cast unworthy ones far away

you all speak of God and of angels like
you know them.
have you seen one light up a city or
set fire to the droplets that fall from the sky?

you know nothing of the blood that runs from my lips every time they kiss me
you know nothing of the cuts on my palms from the ridges on their hands

you all speak of God and of angels like
your heart won't ache for them like
your heart won't break for them like
loving a celestial being is easy

loving someone who brings you pain is not easy.
loving something that can only hurt you is arduous.