Benign

you think love is
a physical asset
like straight teeth
or sparkling eyes

to me love is also
part of the body
more like something
growing deep down
causing no pain
or irritation at first
like a cyst
(a fist of foreign cells
lodged in my skin)
but benign.

you wouldn’t want an asset taken from you
and I have nothing which can be cured.

- Teng Qian Xi