love is like laundry

love 
is like laundry
stuck in a spin cycle 
of heartbreak
and fear
lust 
and self-hate
it's an old shirt
that you can't seem to part with 
even though it's falling apart at the seams
it's that full cup of detergent
that gets all over your hands
messy and unpredictable 
where nobody tells you 
you can't 
it's warm like a sweater 
fresh out of the dryer
it lights up your life 
with a display of choices 
of buttons to press
and choices to get right
it's silly and serious 
all at once
like accidentally making the whites pink 
and somehow losing your favorite sock 
to this fabulous 
confusing
oh so bamboozling 
machine that washes clothes 
we call love.