My friend’s mother loved
to draw lines for people
to differentiate forms
of love; to justify
the margins; to define
what was proper and allowed
in the eyes of her god who
said to love one another.
So many words she used
to hone the finer gradations
of such a simple task:
an act of empathy, love
your neighbor as yourself;
We only have each other.
(February 19, 2023)
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