The Sword is a Weapon of Love
(originally published in Stark Raving Sanity)
Brutal insight into a relationship occurs when the beloved
vomits in the bed… what can be borne, is, what cannot, dies.
Onslaughts of clarity come in the small hours like chest pains.
Can love survive endless trips to buy food?
Control your feelings — tie your hands together behind your back,
don’t pick up that stone. Family is a genetic firestorm, shelter
yourself in a den carved out of solid rock. Money is what creates evil.
A man I know lies whenever he can, if it will save a buck.
When you cannot decipher the callings of your heart
and soul, listen to loud music.
My grandmother left me a pair of silver goblets, which I
refuse to polish… I drank out of them on my wedding day —
they turned black instantly. Beware of men
with black hair and dark eyes. Beware of men who covet
objects of beauty, including you. Their first
priority on the list of acquisitions is marriage.
When you have two opposing desires, do nothing.
Do first the one, then the other, if possible.
Take both paths simultaneously, and lie to everyone.
Beware of men who accuse you of interrupting.
If you fast for a day, you will experience quick and forceful change in your life.
The sword is a weapon of love. To be cut is to love deeply.
I know a man who hanged himself. His wife cut him down with his own sword.
In the bathroom, use lots of soap, feel emotionally cleansed.
Watch the moon, record it daily, change the color of your hair often.
Let the vines grow over the top of your roof, they will
penetrate your attic and a small wilderness will evolve over your head.
Always have a globe nearby to help you feel small.
Whenever you are embarrassed, take all your clothes off.
This will help you to remember what is really important.
Kimberly Townsend Palmer 