Last Valentine's Day,
I saw Titanic in 3D.
Then tried not to kill myself
before going to sleep.
Bad year ya know?
So bad I needed my sister
To deliver my groceries
Else I wouldn’t eat
But I never once had to use
the term "situationship"
So I retain my self-respect
I can’t imagine
humiliating someone
with an abstract term
To explain away
using them for sex.
So this V-Day
let's have a moment of silence
for everyone waking up
next to their "situationship" in bed.
Contextual Commentary by the Poet
Never met someone who was so proud to be miserable and alone.
But I wrote this shortly after one of the darkest periods in my adult life. So I give him a pass.
Also, I've learned you can get away with a respectable amount of self-pity in your work so long as it's funny.
Related Reading
“HAPPY IN BED”—with its dark humor, quiet desperation, and hard-won dignity—sits at the intersection of loneliness, messy modern romance, and survival. If the poem resonated, the pieces below deepen those threads: companion poems that examine shame, boundaries, and bravery; a practical workbook for writing through pain; and a long guide to dark love poetry that puts the feelings in cultural context.
“You Don’t Know Me” — Michael de la Guerra https://www.michaeldelaguerra.com/poem-you-dont-love-me
A close companion on misrecognition and the small moments that stand in for intimacy. Good if you’re drawn to the poem’s quiet, rueful revelations.
“BOUNDARIES” — Michael de la Guerra https://www.michaeldelaguerra.com/relationship-poetry-boundaries
Short, sharp, and edged with anger—this piece examines what happens after hurt, when the impulse is to punish instead of explain. Read it for the poem’s darker, vengeful echo.
How Brave We Are To Love” — Michael de la Guerra https://www.michaeldelaguerra.com/how-brave-we-are-to-love
A gentler counterpoint about staying open despite past damage. Useful if you want a hopeful look at resilience after the collapse of romantic expectation.
Free Dark Poetry Guide & Workbook — Michael de la Guerra https://www.michaeldelaguerra.com/dark-poetry-guide
Practical templates, language clusters, and exercises for turning raw experience (like the one in “HAPPY IN BED”) into craft. Ideal for writers who want to shape pain into lasting poems.
Dark Love Poetry: The Complete Guide — Michael de la Guerra https://www.michaeldelaguerra.com/dark-love-poetry
A long, contextual essay on why we read and write dark love poetry—its psychology, history, and current renaissance. Read this to place the poem’s themes (suicide ideation, dependence, modern dating shame) in broader cultural and emotional context.