They Love Me! They Love Me Not! Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Where is he now?

"Fixed.
In front of the mirror.
Trying to convince himself,
He is loved more by others...
Than the love he has,
For his own self image."

Tell him,
The electricians have finished...
Installing the thunderous,
Cheering and blistering applauding machine.
For every room in the mansion.

"Will do but..."

But what?

"He so desperately wants to be loved."

Oh?
Since when and by who?

"Anybody.
Is it possibly you could find someone,
At least pretending to feel that way? "

Well...
We did record his own voice saying it.
And we couldn't convince him,
It was his own voice.

"Oh...
I understand.
That's why he is alone.
Screaming in the bathroom,
'Love Me. They Love Me.'"

Hey!
We've done the best we could.
Now...
Where should we unload,
All the mailboxes stolen...
From surrounding neighborhoods.
You know...
The ones to prevent,
Too much love overflowing for him.

"Sssshhh.
We're trying to keep that as a surprise.
Just in case,
He declares the upcoming election...
Had been a hoax or a fraud."

That makes no sense.

"We all know that.
But...
Return the mailboxes.
And weld them shut.
That way...
No one can use them."