Author: bill

i’d like to do to you
what the french do to potatoes
italians do to pasta
the spanish do to rice
and that would be to take
the best parts of your nature
enhance them with deliciousness
like peppers, cheese or spice

‘cause you deserve the treatment
that new yorkers give the yankees
hollywood gives starlets
england gives the queen
and that would be to celebrate
your specific greatness
shower you with prizes
and payment that’s obscene

i would like to see you
on a grand red carpet
with olympic medals
accepting huge applause
you should be rewarded
for all the joy you bring me
all the songs you sing me
all the happiness you cause

and if i were to do to you
what the french do to potatoes
what norwegians do to herring
koreans to kim-chi
i would be most grateful
if you’d return the favor
and use that kind of magic
to bring out the best in me

other couples
are intriguing
in the ways
we are the same
stimulating
and fatiguing
always weighing
who’s to blame

“that was rude
and hurtful, honey”
“you’re too soft
and insecure”
“what a way
to spend our money”
“why are you
so immature?”

each exchange
or interaction
holds potential
to derail
every statement
a transaction
which one’s ego
will prevail?

the slightest slight
can be explosive
“why’d you dis me?
what’d i do?”
little barbs
can be corrosive
especially
when they are true

every play
negotiation
over details
large and small
every day
accommodation
in the constant
free-for-all

other couples
might be viewing
us the way
we look at them
they might well be
misconstruing
behavior
easy to condemn

other couples
are amusing
do you and i
come off that bad?
sometimes signals
are confusing
was that a fight
that they just had?

other couples
give perspective
“that’s exactly
how we are!”
none of us
can be objective
“are we really
that bizarre?”

other couples
are inspiring
“i guess we
are not alone”
hard-earned balance
can be tiring
ev’ry couple
makes their own