Men Shopping

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

Today’s poem first appeared on the blog in 2012 albeit in a different form.

Now, feedback suggests that some readers like to compare revisions so I have left the original version in the archives; see listed (by year) on the right hand side of any blog entry.

Hopefully, readers - whoever and wherever -will approve of any changes I have made to form and content, but feel free to email me any thoughts any time to rogertab@ol.com [UK] as I do not publish comments; any spam or trolling will be ignored and instantly deleted. 

Although I often write in the first person, relatively few of my poms are autobiographical, but loosely relate to gay couples I have known or third person tales told me in the course of lively conversations at various venues, long before the world became acquainted with Covid-19 or the need for social distancing. (Oh, halcyon days!)

MEN SHOPPING 

He was reaching for coffee

on a supermarket shelf;

the graceful swing of his body

cut me to the quick;

one eye refused to blink, kept

at the task in hand;

trying hard not to think about

a finger nudging mine

His tenuous grasp on the jar,

began to slip;

my hand was left no choice,

obliged to help;

he thanked me with a grin,

I smiled back;

as he made as if to move on,

I finally found my voice

“So, you like decaf?” I blurted

to a shirt button;

a hint of hairy chest heaved,

breath slow and warm;

“I do indeed,” he grinned again,

made my cheeks burn ...

and I came up with something

even more banal

We chatted away the whole

length of the aisle;

finally, at preserves, a parting

of the ways;

I finished off my shopping

having lost my nerve,

no names, numbers exchanged,

guessing not interested

Outside, he was unloading into

an old banger;

a cheeky wave saw me blush

from ear to ear;

the same grin, infuriating me

this time;

lips parted, tip of a pink tongue

teasing my prime

My mouth went dry, and I barely

recall that lift home;

years on, I still thrill to waking

next to him,

listening to a steady breathing

till opening to mine;

morning kisses by way of recalling

a day’s shopping

Copyright R. N. Taber 2004; 2020

[Note: An early version of this poem appears in The Third Eye by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2004.]