would you believe, downstairs i have a concubine in my harem whose sole duty consists of stamp collecting. it is really not all that difficult. she must peruse each day the mail that comes to the house. her task is to cut off stamps that seem unusual. she then tosses these stamps into a drawer in a desk upstairs. i should at this point also mention the scullery maid for pots and pans, and another specialists for loading the dishwasher. the most inspiring concubine, yet the most demanding, requiring careful and constant effort on my part, is the political lady. her depth of information leaves me in awe. her refusal not to be uninformed leaves me ashamed. the shadow cast by this iron lady is long and my entire harem and i live within it. what a challenge, what joy to have and know my harem. today of all days i must reflect on the joy of kinship on the joy of love one for the other, all within my harem. i ask: please won't you all be my valentine? -from the short story harem in my house