The New Courtship

Locked at last in our last embrace,

the struggle over who gets what,

we sense our passion grow too hot

to meet each other face-to-face.

Now lawyers represent our rages,

and of our hate the final scenes

are carried out by go-betweens—

like love scenes in the Middle Ages.

Richard Moore

From No More Bottom, Orchises Press,
© 1991.  Originally printed in Light Year '87.
Reprinted by permission of the author.