Love is Plagarism

by Edward Abbey
September 21 2014

Once my English teacher told me plagiarism was using three or more words that weren't your own and taking credit for them. She said she'd rip up my paper and give me a zero if I ever did such a thing. But I wanted to know how those three words felt. I wanted to write them.
The three words grandparents know so well, and children know better.
The words us teens are trying to remember.
So I stole them.
I stole them from the asphalt skimmed knees and the asphalt skimmed hearts.
From the playground kids kissing tree,
and kisses only made possible thanks to supplemented oxygen.
Because when I asked him how he felt Grandpa responded, "despite the constant flow of O2 from the tank by my side, she still gives me reasons to forget to breathe."

So when you ripped up the paper I gave you with the words "I love you" written on it, I only hope it was a result of my plagiarism.

Love is plagiarism, but I stole it for you.