the specimen

 my heart had been reduced to cinder.

i thought i was cherished by her.'
she cheated.
often.
so, when she left
i was determined to conduct
a little experiment.

i built a kiln to precision standards.
i fueled it
i fired it
i stoked the furious inferno
to white hot...

....and then i poured in more fuel
and the combustion was mighty and angry!

then i took my skewer
crafted of heat resistant material...

...and i opened the freezer, reached inside
and grabbed my specimen...

...a squirming, very much alive subject
capable of experiencing much pain...

...and i thrust my skewer deep into
LOVE.

it hung there, writhing, trying to escape the skewer...

...but i slowly, carefully, deliberately
plunged LOVE into my kiln.

then i went to bed.

the next morning i went to see what (if anything) remained of
LOVE.

i slid the kiln door open....but there was no LOVE...
just as i thought.

i returned to my lonely room.

....and there was LOVE waiting for me.
and she spoke to me.
She said....

"I am at my best pierced and placed in fiery trials."

it seems all that time, LOVE was testing me.