As If You Could Put the Pieces Together Again


Broken hearts have become clichés,

especially in poetry, leading to


bad verse, maudlin movies, and

stories students turn in for a first-


year creative writing course. But

in the long term, it’s not the


hearts that break that much

matter. Instead, it’s the lawn


mower belt that cracks in two when

you’re halfway through your yard on


a Saturday afternoon, but not just

any Saturday afternoon, as you later


relate to your relatives, but the

afternoon before the family


reunion you were supposed to

host that night. Or it’s


the toilet that overflows on

an ordinary Tuesday evening


as you prepare for bed, keeping

you up hours past your planned


bedtime the night before the

pivotal presentation to your boss.


Unlike Humpty Dumpty, hearts can

and are put back together again and


again, but your sore knee will haunt

you for the rest of your days.  

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