do not machine wash

i'm hard on my stuff:

cracked soles, cracked screens,

fissures in relationships, chips in dishes,

seams with rips, outdated firmware, CDs that skip

i've got burn holes in my sheets,

a thousand scratches on my CDs

my laptop casing has a dent

the stuck keys are a non-event

this is what i'm working with

when it's a struggle to exist

scarred kneecaps, stubbed toes,

chipped teeth and a patched heart,

a body like all my books

that fall apart

(bent at the spine)

but it's fine

they're just well-read

(so the covers fell off)

and i didn't punch hard

(the drywall's just soft)

isn't this love?

i think i ripped the tag off