Gravity

In Science class they talk about gravity
as if it were a constant, as if life weighed
the same at a wedding as it does at a
funeral. They’ve even invented a
formula to prove they’re right.

Let them crunch numbers all they like,
everybody knows a quarter pound of beef
weighs more when you’re hungry,
and when the world feels gray, eating
ice cream takes off the weight. Feet,
of course, are heavier walking on sidewalks
than strolling in sand. And a heart in love,
we know, is lighter than a heart forlorn.

Trust me. I’m a poet.
I’ve got the formula to prove it.