Amour Douloureux

xxi

Let me tell you something I've
learned through years of sitting on the
same shelf.

Poetry and literature could not exist
without a cold, cruel breath of reality.

Why is that important to us?

As you read more of my carefully
written words, your grip on reality will
fade away.

Try to hold onto it for me, will you?

I'm hoping that if you pay attention to
reality, our ending will hurt just a little less.

Because in this reality,
we must have an ending.

xxi