oldies

Dion Dimucci sings
“Why must I be a teenager in love?”
ignorant of the simple answer 

because he is blessed

blessed with love in youth
the only time love can be so simple

and the reason we don’t sing

“Why do I hafta be middle-aged
          and in love?”

is that we’re busy

and trying to keep our confusions
to ourselves

because we can’t let anyone know
we’re barely holding on


"oldies" is excerpted from "Threads, Knots, Scissors" which first appeared in my first master's thesis titled Lines of Separation August 13, 2000.
It later appeared in the chapbook Wedding Songs August 29, 2004.