Single Awareness Day
Approaches once again
When all singles are reminded
Of the love they cannot attain
Excluded in every way
For not being part of a couple
Acute reinforcement of this fact
Can cause some of them to buckle
So either they opt out
Or in defiance they see it through
Uniting with other ‘lonely’ hearts
To gain strength from not being a two
The propaganda and the pressure
To declare your undying devotion
The commercial machine that churns
Provokes a myriad of emotions
It’s only one day of the year
A mere 24 hours
But woe betide you if you don’t receive
A card, some chocolates and flowers
If no one is clamouring
To romance you and seduce
To bowl you over
Worship at your alter – what to do?
Consider yourself unworthy?
Undeserving of such sentiments?
Harbour feelings of being less than?
Brew a pot of resentments?
No way!
Cast that mentality aside!
And recognise that it’s just
Another way of being bribed
To spend your dosh
And buy into the hype
When in reality
It’s all a load of tripe
Love should prevail
All year round
Not on a bitter cold day in February
That marks the day an execution was carried out
When a martyr was proclaimed
St Valentine
Which begs the question –
Why commemorate a crime?
Rachel Rhodes 