I love them she says but they don ’t love me

the strawberries sit in white paper cups

and she goes on

dark chocolate strawberries

I love them she says

but they make me break out like a girl of fifteen

and she sounds like me when I talk about men

whenever I eat ‘em they make me break out

into laughter or song and sometimes into fits

or I break ‘em and eat ‘em

white paper cup and all

walk away with their seeds in my teeth

and she goes on

white chocolate strawberries

they’re good too I guess

but really she means they’re not good enough

and she sounds like me when I talk about women

I tried them once

no seeds I was happy

but I didn’t break out or feel like fifteen

the strawberries sit in their white paper cups

I love them she says but they don’t love me

I can still eat milk chocolate

milk chocolate strawberries

are better than nothing she says

and she sounds like me

the way I spoke of love

when I was fifteen

but I walked away and spit out the seeds

nothing is better than better than nothing

there’s empty white paper cups

either way

and nothing

is good enough for me.