Love’s Trial
by Odin Roark

Side-by-side
They travel together
Lust the ever-free spirit
Reality the ever-faithful arbiter

From time to time
Reality’s mediating influence
Becomes smitten as well
It’s only human

Usually during the inevitable deposition of Lust
Where questioning of Love’s visceral weakness
From Reality’s listen-now-or-suffer-later truth factor
Steadfast common sense often renders
Passion’s natural appetite to feel…well…
Unnatural

Inducement’s tactics can be challenging
But as time passes
Love’s back and forth trial of persuasion
Is decided by Patience and Respect
The yin and yang judge of all things lasting

Even as our side-by-side rivals
Continue patrolling Love’s “faithfulness” highway
Often eyeing each other from opposite lanes
But avoiding frivolous confrontation
Love normally holds strong
Avoiding prurient weakness
Protecting its right to remain esteemed

However…

Once in a while
Lust and Reality acquiesce
Accept their humanness and weakness
Join hands
Admit they miss each other
And flirting their way
To the next watering hole
Try to avoid causing
Another “settlement” kind of trial