What you called my "harem" was my curriculum.
I learned by rote the hazards of the heart.
She turned fire to ice. She loved anyone.
She longed to lie with women. She slept apart.
She was a money pit. She dated death.
She used me for a fool. She fondled me and left.
She taught waiting. She taught touch and breath.
Each came in time and with a precious gift.
She taught me constancy. She taught me peace.
The briar of bitterness, I watered with my tears.
The very life that shattered signed another lease.
And taking heart, I overcame my fears.
Embrace this rich history then. It is my tenderness,
my hard-won schooling. Would you have me less?