Recently, my mailbox at work has been inundated with articles on love, sex, perceptions of beauty and inbreeding. The phantom donor has yet to come forward, but it usually makes for an interesting day to see stories titled, “Handsome men have the best sperm” and “Lap dancers ‘in heat' are the ones to watch” amid the other, usually tepid, material tucked away there.

But one article in particular — a 2006 New Scientist story on polyamorists — caught my eye.

Polyamorists are those who are “openly committed to several lovers at the same time.” Before you tag it oxymoronic, polyamorists are a growing lifestyle circle, and even some online communities, like okcupid.com, cater to that facet of the single life. Biologists and psychologists just suggest that those who practice polyamory have embraced non-monogamy and have stopped suppressing their biological desire for more than one partner.

Polyamory is different from polygamy. Polygamy involves one person who hoards spouses. And it's not swinging. Polyamorists are mostly interested in a “family” unit — or, at the very least, cultivated relationships loosely based on lust.

In fact, the polyamorists in the story seemed happy. The “primary” two were married; the husband had two girlfriends, one of whom was pregnant; and the wife had already had the husband's son and was enjoying the company of her boyfriend. They appeared to be a functioning San Francisco family with a dizzying and overlapping arrangement of lovers.

A 2006 “Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality” study showed evidence that polyamorous couples stayed together longer than monogamous ones. An analyst found that long-term poly couples cited “love” or “connection” as reasons for staying together, while monogamous couples listed things like religion and family. The analyst speculated that “polyamorists perceive themselves as having more choices, and therefore stay in marriages and relationships that make them happy.”

For some, polyamory may not sound too bad. You're allowed to explore the dark and twisted world of sexuality where you and your partner(s) set the rules (and yes, according to polyamorists, there can be rules). Proponents may argue that since love is infinite, it can be shared with many without anyone feeling shorted.

Others may see it as a total cop-out — an excuse to not tap into a higher self and suppress covetous feelings toward others. Opponents may say that only two halves make a whole.

As for me, I haven't decided yet. Ask me when I have a “poly” to consider amor-ing with — ‘cause right now, I'm having a hard time finding just one.