Dance with the devil and feel the burn.
Make every word hurt with each twist and turn.
Put up the walls and never give in.
Put on the glare; stick out the chin.

Think only negative and never be nice.
Make him hurt deep, as he pays the price.
Keep the remarks cutting, right down to the core.
Never let real love get a foot in the door.

Give up patience and kindness, too,
And any gentleness you ever knew.
Cloak your soul in The Selfish Me;
Sacrifice nothing for warmth or civility.

And when the walls are fully built,
Mortared well with hate and guilt,
Then dance within your heart of stone,
Dance with the devil as you dance alone.

—-

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This poem was first published in the Newlywed News — a (snail mail) newsletter my husband and I sent out to family and friends in our first few years of marriage. I wrote it based on a couple’s relationship we’d witnessed during our honeymoon. They tore at each other like harpies. We swore we’d never take that path!

Thank you for visiting,
Lori Hoeck