Terms Apply

We enter relationships
on the high of a free trial,
our eligibility requirements
perhaps fudged a little
in order to get in on the deal,
a personality quirk muted,
a non-negotiable ignored.

The fine print emerges
like invisible ink
when heat is applied -
all our “must-haves”
surfacing, our boundaries
revealed, the once ignored
non-negotiable now
requiring negotiation
to extend the contract.

We test the limits
of usage, determine
if our emotional bandwidth
will carry the load
of troubled times,
of illness and anger,
of bodies and minds
fading as the contract
reaches its end.

And still, we click “agree,”
the opt-out clause set aside,
knowing there are no guarantees,
only renewals.



Poetry by Melinda K Zarate The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 27 times
Written on 2026-04-20 at 02:31

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arquious The PoetBay support member heart!
In any relationship of increasing duration fudging becomes a survival skill and building tool. But the TOS is always a one way street. 🕊️🙏
2026-04-20