A parody of One Art by Elizabeth Bishop, and a feeble attempt at rhyming.
The art of hurting isn’t hard to master;
All you need is a lover with sincere intent
And a heart that clamps like an oyster.
Hurt someone every day. Accept the fluster
Of lost friendships, memories you now repent.
The art of hurting isn’t hard to master.
Then practice hurting further, and faster:
Tie the strings taut as a moment,
Then dip them in the dye of disaster.
I hurt my mother last, it was quite a cluster –
One that you may try to prevent.
The art of hurting isn’t hard to master.
I hurt two friends, lovely ones.
And, vaster, Hurt a beloved I’d begun to resent –
Better to hurt than let furious misery fester.
– Even hurting you (the loving touch, a gesture
I adore) – it’s quite evident
The art of hurting isn’t hard to master
And (surprise!) does not feel quite as sinister.
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