The Salesman looked tired
his eyes showed surprise,
was this the piece you wanted?
And at such a price?
It’s been on this dusty shelf
for a long, long time;
They normally take those,
the ones tested and tried.
There will be no discounts, you see,
no bargains are allowed;
why don’t you move to that counter, dear,
the one where there’s a crowd?
That is where they all go,
because there are warranties:
things like comfort, happiness
and togetherness guaranteed.
And this one has a tag attached:
it says At Your Own Risk-
You had better move over, lady,
where business is more brisk!

I took the piece and cradled it
between my broken palms;
it glowed and trembled in my hands
as if a life was born-
It spoke of pain and grief and death
it spoke of hurts unnamed;
It whispered that in its heart lay
deep fires untamed
Which I could not contain today
nor tomorrow douse;
It told me to be very sure
for it might burn my house-
And leave me naked, burnt, lost,
without a friend around,
but I would never be the same
as before this gift was found!

In hesitation and fear I turned
to find the Salesman gone-
He forgot to tell me that
on touch it was my own!
The Gift has burnt me deep inside,
it’s broken every chain,
It has lifted me to sublimity,
regardless of the pain-
I wanted then to shake it’s hold,
but it wouldn’t move-
I hunted for its name and found
that it was called Love…