If he and she do not know each other, and feel confident br they will not meet again; if he avoids affectionate words; br br if she has grown insensible skin under skin; if they desire br only the tribute of another's cry; if they employ each other br br as revenge on old lovers or families of entitlement and steel— br then there will be no betrayals, no letters returned unread, br br no frenzy, no hurled words of permanent humiliation, br no trembling days, no vomit at midnight, no repeated br br apparition of a body floating face-down at the pond's edgebr br Donald Hallbr br