Tonight's Poet Corner: Heartless?

Heartless?
by Belinda Roddie
 
A cruel young woman
once told me,
"I know a man
who is so
heartless."
And curious, I asked,
"Why?"

"Well, for starters, he's
got a wife and three children
who he loves to death."

"I see. And?"

"He works a job he doesn't like
so he can get the bills paid and
he can see his kids
on the weekends."

I was confused. "I'm sorry, but - "

"And he reads them a bedtime story
every night, and he
kisses them on the heads
and says,
'I'll always be watching.'
And then he does the same
to his wife."

"Reads her a bedtime story?"

"No, but he kisses her
and hugs her and
says, 'I love you.'
And she says,
'I love you, too.'"

My brow was creased and
my tongue felt funny
in my mouth.
I said, "But that all sounds wonderful!
How in the Hell is he
heartless?"

"Well," she says,
"He may love everything and everyone,
but he doesn't love me the way
I want him to."

"Well, hon," I replied,
"if that's the case,
I wish more people like him
were heartless."