“Valentine’s Day is easier,”
the grocery guy confides in me,
“if you have a Valentine,”
as I sample the strawberries I’ll never buy,
but free is a price we all can afford to pay..

on Valentine’s Day there’s ice outside
and every branch is glistening,
for me these barren trees outshine
a million roses sacrificed to prove our love,
but that’s not a price that roses should have to pay,
+++ I believe underneath
+++ all the static and the fray,
+++ there’s a light that would shine,
+++ if we got out of the way,
+++ if we got out of the way..

this Valentine’s Day is simplified,
there are no gifts I have to buy,
but I would gather icicles
from under trees and traffic signs,
and send them out to warmer climes
where winter’s in short supply,
+++ cold, but I’m wide awake,
+++ bent, but we didn’t break,

free is a price we all can afford,
clear as the ice encrusting this world,
free is a price we all can afford to pay…