Four Fettered

For just this moment
desire has stored up
and secreted all its conditionality;
I shall not go to
the world's end.

Even entwined in the dragnet
of a proposal,
or slugged from behind
by the demolition bullet
of a promise.

We have gone:
sometimes silently alone in the dark,
or watching neon on bare walls,
or tapping the keyboard
with the unsticky finger.

We have done: 
most cisvestic surfaces,
the haute-couture whore cut,
semi-conscious kung fu,
engineering's mail-catalogued toys, and then some.

No,
not tonight;
not with prayers on saliva,
or High Church Xstasy Id catharsis
/cock games.
No.

Your inner core is crunched
to a dark star
tripping the tip of your tongue
and the beautiful possibilities
of your unsealed lips hover above

my waiting ear.
Yet present predilections declare
I'm staying put,
playing stubborn pretty sister
with myself, pussyfooting 
      elsewhere; but - 

Fuck

say The Word
and I'll be there.

Liasion Hilton

As no double is ready
lips sweet lips meet
half way across a
Chocolate Bourbon

A plate is abandoned
at a desk bound signal
A Highland Shortcake
balances at a precarious 
                angle

Stale other's-odours giddy within
square-prison mirrors
A sinking when rising
feeling falling in collision Only 

the shampoo refills
trolley stands steady then
the key is swiped too quickly
the clicks door not
            properly

(so the maid probably
heard everything)
An index finger tips
A perfect worsted petal

The Klimt repro slides-O
up out of view
One of the briefcases faints
with the smell of seaoilpatchoulifreshmorningdew

Too few hands grapple
Steps must be taken
dragging with delays of tiresome cloth-
                    ing
The air tsucks

The only word spoken is an invitation 
hidden in the hum 
of the room's 
aspiration 

Copyright © 2002 AnnMarie Eldon. All Rights Reserved. May not be re-printed in any form without express written consent of the author. Do not copy or post.