For Love - James Humphrey

For Love

I stole some broom-
straw flowers from
you while you were

taking a shower and
hid them in my suit-
case, not feeling the

guilt I had
been taught since child-
hood to feel for

stealing. For many years
I was obedient, mother,
teachers, books and priests;

but somewhere, sometime,
for some reason for-
gotten now, I tried to

define stealing.
I could-

n’t. Humphrey says:
It’s better to steal
from each other now
and then than to
reach out
for purity and
die in fantasy.

***