Let’s not pretend we have done this before
In that way people protect themselves from hope
By conceding that this is just another in a long string of loves
And that each one has its end
And that each one is just as significant as the next
In that way people protect themselves
From the pain of love poorly tended to
The pain of love left to spoil into contempt
The pain of love meant to show us what does not fit
Let’s just be grateful that we found each other
And not a moment earlier
And that all those other loves had their chance
To mold and shape us
And make us ready