A stew of heart shavings & oud of tear drop
Can pose as a love potion
Instead of a poison
Damaging every soul to touch it
Even despite lawful protest
The art of collecting these amorous necessities
Is nothing more than a burden
And ingestion is not suggested
Unless you wish to be infected
With the love virus
Harley Claes is a Filipino prose poet, perfume maker, and novelist from Detroit, Michigan. She runs the Beat-inspired zine ANGELICAL RAVINGS. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in 18+ literary journals. You can find her at http://harleyclaes.com