Consumer affairs — Summary

Dave BontaCheerful

my love is thin but full of variety

o divert us at the office my eyes bad in bed

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The title, "Consumer affairs," sets up a joke that runs through the whole poem: love talked about as if it were something you shop for. The speaker says "my love is thin / but full of variety," which sounds like a review of a product, a bit meagre in substance but with plenty of choice. It's an oddly deflating way to describe a feeling that's usually praised as deep or strong.

The second stanza feels broken and slightly garbled. "O divert us at the office" could be a plea for distraction, or a wry nod to office flirtation, and the "o" reads like a mock-romantic sigh. Then "my eyes bad in bed" lands bluntly. It might mean poor eyesight, or a failure of attention or desire in intimacy; the poem doesn't say.

The mood is dry, wry and a little sad. The speaker seems amused by their own shortcomings, yet there's a hint of loneliness under the humor.

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