What is love? Is love a rose? A rose that withers and dies? Is love the joyous beating of a heart? A heart that becomes diseased and ultimately ceases to beat? Is love a drug? An addictive drug that you need increasing amounts of to experience the same high until it destroys you?

If love was meant to last, surely it would be represented by much hardier symbols. A safe. A sturdy pair of boots. A surly builder. A dark, impermeable stone.

My book of romantic poetry, "Love is a Decomissioned Nuclear Power Facility", is due for release in the new year.