People say that love is free, and perhaps
there's still a truth ensnared in that cliche.
But love is surrounded by myriad things
that are not free, and these things
restrict its movements. And those who insist
that love is free are often most imprisoned.

Love wants greatness, lovely architecture;
love wants a good government.
For love wants everything to love;
love wants the post office and the sidewalk
and the education of children to be
impressive and beautiful experiences.
Or maybe love is just a crowd of monks
making beer together
and forgetting their religion in their labor.

But those who have the most love
often have the hardest time
putting it into practice; their
love wants a whole world to run free in
but too often is forced
to settle for a smaller space
where it can easily become frustrated,
distorted, turned into fear and even hatred.
And so the greatest lovers
often lose.

How terrifying the world is.
And how few good people we have;
and how hard it is for them to remain so.