doves twitter in twos

ancient symbol realized

youths exchange chocolates

and flowers

blinded by rosy spectacles

solitary lock themselves indoors

with self pity

and half gallons of ice cream

and dozens of

Blockbuster romantic comedies

wishing they

lived in the movies

Jupiter and Juno

forget the adultery

and the jealousy for today

to be together

but lonely Eros sits

beneath the weeping

red maple in the

heavenly garden of Ceres

wistful fingers pluck at bowstring

decidedly golden and Roman

long sigh

sends a shudder through

his snowy wings

a few feathers dislodging

and falling to the

ground in

scented solitude

roses will grow from

salty god-tears

but purpose

as a bee

stings

sharpness

he jumps, gives and

undignified yelp

peeved, looks around

something whispers

it's not his, he knows

it's theirs

it always will be

nothing

without golden doves of love

without leaden owls of indifference

nothing

without that oldest of things

that stays young forever

nothing

standing again on bare feet

flying again on contradictory wings

he's him again

playful and carefree

gods and men the same

in the eyes of this one

smirk

twang

watch out

love begins anew