Poem: A Lover's Recourse (why)

pourquoi / why

If thinking so does not make me an animal,
why would acting like one make me an animal?

Man is as far from animal as love from lust
but many love to keep as pet an animal.

How quickly I give up philosophy in bed!
As envy is to monster, joy is animal.

The mind thinks, he would call if he were not so busy.
I love you. Why don’t you love me? cries the animal.

When asked to write about what makes a man great,
the boy turned in one phrase, esprit de l’animal.

A woman stands behind every successful man.
Behind every strong idea lurks an animal.

The Chinese zodiac says, Jee, you are a dog,
a sleep-around-and-have-one-master animal.

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