Bombs Away! by Valerie Parente

So much praise right away
an affair of love bombing
and I knew better
than to go all in.

Lit up in a flash
like a stick of dynamite
set off, and set up,
designed for sparks to fly.

Spontaneous combustion
the kind that gives you whiplash
shame on me for being surprised
that it fizzled out just as fast.

Now that the smoke has cleared
there’s nothing left
but a gaping space
in the shape of foolishness.

I thought I knew better than to trust
when men declare, “Bombs Away!”
so why am I confused
that it blew up in my face?

– Valerie Parente (2-22-2024)