When I spoke at length on love,
There was no one waiting outside the hall to love me.
Love should be whispered, not lectured on
Was one theme, and the theme of poetry
Was very strong.
I talked on and on.
In the audience—six exes. They
Did not want to hear anything I had to say.
Curiosity had brought them there, as when
We loved back then.
At the end of the talk, I cried.
People coughed. The chairs creaked and sighed.