The Lottery of Random Collisions



THE LOTTERY OF RANDOM COLLISIONS

Leaving for work, I trace the bite marks
you have left upon my skin.
They will fade, but invisibility
does not demand evidence, does it?

I watch the hesitating rain;
thunder distances the moment
from the routine.
The electricity between us -
once touched, proves to be Life.

Sure, swans mate for life,
but we are rarely so lucky
that we meet the right match;
fit the key in the lock,
solve the puzzle at the heart of it,
succeeded in the lottery
of random collisions.

And so your kisses touch me,
collecting my tears
as spoils of war, or trophies,
nibbling your way along my inner arms
until your tongue finds my silvered spot.

Am I more than a man in love,
a wretch lying shivering in want of touch?

How did you know to do that to me?

My motives are salvation enough,
your comfort is worth all to me.
I would drink of love's wine
and worry about the worms another time.

After all, bite marks fade.

-----
Shared with DVerse Poets for OLN.


©2010 Christopher Reilley
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Comments

  1. A truly sensual poem, Chris. I love the title, the Frankenstein allusion in the lines:
    ‘The electricity between us -
    once touched, proves to be Life’
    and the lines:
    ‘I would drink of love's wine
    and worry about the worms another time.

    After all, bite marks fade.’

    ReplyDelete
  2. Phew! Somebody call the fire brigade! We have a smoking hot masterpiece here ❤️❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should talk Sanaa - your poems frequently need to be followed by a cold shower...

      Delete
  3. It's rarely 50/50, and some don't want it that way anyway. A big question is, whatever the ratio, are you willing to pay the price to sustain "it"?

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  4. I like the reference to the worms - it reminds me of Andrew Marvell's To His Coy Mistress and yet here, it is the narrator who is seduced beyond sensibility...

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  5. Sigh. Chris, you write the most beautiful love poems.

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  6. This speaks deeply to my experiences. Wonderful to hear you read it live.

    ReplyDelete

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