The Legal Definition of Love

I’m here to
stage a
courtroom scene.

You’ll play all
the roles.

Defendant,
Prosecuting Attorney,
(you’re a superstar
prosecutor),
Judge,
Jury.

There’s no defense
attorney.
You know damn well
you don’t
deserve one.
You’re guilty
as hell.

The Jury of
One Self
has been watching you.
You’ve seen
every move
you’ve made.

You think
you’ve hidden
every sin,
but the Jury
has already decided
there’s no
alibi.

You’ve already
sentenced your Self
to a life of
self doubt and
unending
apology.

You may even
have considered
the death penalty.

But the Director
has other plans
for you:

Some say
she’s divine.
She’s secretly
in love
with you,
and she can’t
keep quiet
about it for
another minute.

She instructs
the Jury to
pardon you.

You’re free
to go,
with one
condition:

She has a
stack of
scripts
a foot deep.

You star
in every one.
You’ll be called
The Beloved.

In every play
you’ll be asked
to show up
in courtrooms
everywhere
and drop
a beating heart
on the Scales of
Justice,
to tip them
over,
so the prisoners
go free.

(Photo by Avel Chuklanov; Unsplash)