you stretch out across our
pulled together single beds Riaan
your skin rough against
the checker-print of our bedspreads

you allow Brenda to kneel beside you
spell SEX along the length of your spine
she squeezes out enormous pink
Johnson's Baby Lotion letters
the curve of the S nearly touches
the waist of your jeans
an upper corner of X trickles into
the tanned hollow
between your shoulder blades

your skin is raw from sea and salt
I rub the lotion in working backward
from X, smearing one letter at a time
into shoulders, spine, throat
folds of skin where my fingers join
gooey and pink

tonight, Brenda has a learn-to-play
-chess date with Andreas
you lift your pelvis, reach under, pull your
jeans to the middle of your thighs
alone, I smooth
the S into the round strength
under your denim

Kimmy Beach
Copyright � 2003