Girl with a Boyfriend

You want to know their story.
No, not the tale of these two
Particular people here

Hiking alongside the road,
Making you wonder which one
Would be more likely to hike

Alone. Probably him, but
More probably neither one.
These two only remind you

What an absolutely vast
Swath of story’s landscaped world,
Of that great hegemony,

Empire of the human mind,
Is dedicated to these
Pairings, these kinds of couples,

How they met, partnered, married,
Or broke up, renewed their vows,
Cheated one on the other

With some other boy or girl,
How interesting all this
Seems it must be to stories

In the kingdom of stories.
Are we not amazed heroes
Are accorded the core role

When it’s easy to argue
That even in fairy tales,
Folktales, scriptures, and epics,

The favorite plot pivot
Isn’t hero’s setting forth
But rotating boy and girl?

So there you go. Them again,
Hiking the side of the road,
Neither one looking too thrilled.