When I Googled Saint Valentine

When I Googled 'Saint Valentine'
I expected to find stories
of some brave Christian martyr;
his heart pierced by pagan arrows
and blood blooming into roses
as he preached Love to his killers.

I found references to Chaucer
and Roman Lupercalia
but no mention of true romance;
just seven listed mythic souls
who happened to share the same name
based on 'valens' meaning worthy.

It's tempting to draw parallels
between the mysteries of love
and the Church's lost history;
to connect two holy concepts
with one overarching vision:
all is conjoined under Heaven.

If I wrote verse for Hallmark cards
to sell on supermarket shelves
I would not bother with research,
for I speak the common language
of shared metaphors for desire
where each letter is a price code.