Of Love, Cuts and Caring

[CalebPerry]

Of Love, Caring and Cuts

“Thank you for caring for those you love.”

That’s what the lid flap says on this box of Band-Aids.
It doesn’t say, “Thank you for loving those you love”
or “Thank you for caring for those you care for.”
Those would be redundant. Is there a poet working
at Johnson & Johnson? Or is it just obvious
that people should not be repetitious?

So who might this person be who is thanking me?
One of the thousands of nameless J&J employees
that our Supreme Court now says, collectively,
constitute a person with personal rights? Or is it
the marketing executive who approved the slogan,
neither of whom knows me? Or is it their largest
shareholder? Or their chairman with bulging salary?

I see they are thanking me for loving others,
others they don’t know — not for buying
their product, which would make more sense.
But why do they care whether I love anyone at all?
Do caring people buy more bandages? I suspect
that uncaring folks get into more scrapes.

[But the larger question is, whom do I love?]
[Would that my life needed only a bandage.]

☙

Please let me know which one-line ending you prefer.

[jisbell00]

Hi Caleb,

I think this is another effective you poem, which I wouldn't want to change in any particular way. It has a premise, it executes it, job done. I might leave Of out of the title though.

Cheers,
John

[CalebPerry]

Thank you, John!

Sorry I haven't been participating much recently. I had a huge blow-up with a government agency to the point where I started to search for an attorney. My tension level was off the charts.

Which one is right, who or whom? Some grammar sites are telling me that both are okay.

[jisbell00]

Hi Caleb,

Technically, whom is correct. It's just a little archaic now. To whom I think survives though.

Also, there's the great Bo Diddley song Who do you love?

Cheers,
John

[CalebPerry]

Thanks again! I visited a bunch of grammar sites. Most of them said both were right. I'll be using "whom".

[CalebPerry]

I am knocking this to the top because I now have two one-line endings, and I'd like to know which one the group prefers. Thanks!

[jisbell00]

Hi Caleb,

I prefer the whom do I love ending. The bandage idea is pretty well-worn by now and I think it thus lacks oomph for your close.

Cheers,
John

[CalebPerry]

Thank you, John. I agree. On the other forum, someone suggested another ending mentioning a bandage (not the one I inserted here), and I wanted the opinion of this group, which seems to be more focussed on life-death issues.

[ton321]

Of Love, Caring and Cuts



Hi Caleb

Not sure it really works for me. It feels more like a rant in poetry's clothing.
why don't you Haiku it ?
Tony

[the stranger]

I have to agree with Tony here. I don't see any anything poetical. In fact it's very similar to your last 5 poems.

Cheers
TS