Love Test

 Love Test

my old man
could warn me

about women.

—

my mother
could tell me

which ones

to leave alone.

—

my boys

could swear

they know

how they operate.

—

every man

got a story

about the one

he should’ve

seen coming.

—

so i listen.

—

but love

has always been

a terrible student

of advice.

—

you can check

her history.

meet her friends.

watch how

she treats

the waiter.

—

see what happens

when another man

enters the room.

—

ask about

the last one.

and the one

before him.

—

listen closely

when she tells you

why they failed.

—

there are signs.

—

there are always

signs.

—

but signs

only tell you

where somebody

has been.

—

not where

they’ll take you.

—

and that’s

the gamble.

—

because

the sweetest face

can bring

the bitterest lesson.

—

and the woman

everybody warned you

about

might be

the only one

who ever

tells you

the truth.

—

so what

am i supposed

to test?

—

her loyalty?

—

loyalty

doesn’t mean much

until somebody

worth leaving for

walks through

the door.

—

her honesty?

—

everybody

is honest

when the truth

costs nothing.

—

her love?

—

even love

changes

when life

starts charging

interest.

—

maybe

that’s why

the elders

only warn you.

—

they can tell you

where the wolves

usually hide.

—

but eventually

every man

still has to

walk through

the woods.

—

and choose

which hand

he’s willing

to hold

when it gets dark.

—

there’s no blood work.

no background check.

no answer sheet

for the heart.

—

just a woman

standing

in front of you

and every woman

who came before her

whispering

in your ear.

—

choose wisely.

—

because there is

no love test.

—

by the time

you have enough evidence

to know

the answer,

you’ve already

lived through it.

—

you get knowledge

because you were

vulnerable enough

to live through

the answer.

— Mr. Mak


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