The square root of me

Posted by Gaspard on 2012-12-11 22:17:54, Tuesday

 

What was your name?
I can't remember

you who I met through
the flabby gay activist
who ran gay youth groups
helped runaways
took them in 
and hit on all of us
sweetly, I have to say
told us tales
of the latest young hoodlum 
who had robbed him

all shortly before his
literal execution 
at the hands of the police

and so....

two pock marked teens 
both with a brand 
new driver's license
staring booth to booth
in our disco shirts
and tight fitting jeans
me in my faux Led Zeppelin hair
you in your white boy afro

Bee Gee's on the radio

strangers in a strange land
arranged by the arranger

I know he wanted to watch
in fact I think he asked
if he could.....be there
you know, to help, coach
make suggestions 
and no doubt 
participate and "document" 
the proceedings! :) 

Yes I remember this

and I declined

...anyway....

We weren't terribly impressed
with each other

not the beautiful people

but you gave me the look anyway
the one that says 
"Well? What do you think?
Do you want to? Should we?"

We went back and forth 
like that
for some time

until I moved

Nothing in common
no chemistry
only the mutual need
to touch and be touched

how obvious 
we must have been
bath house behavior
in a Burger King

"Follow me"

and I did

I remember you were taller than me
quite thin

I can see in my head
the new Mercury you drove
brown
the exterior 
of your parents' townhouse
the color of a cadaver

the darkness of the interior
of the shag carpet and drapes
even the walls weren't white

I remember

My body wasn't nearly 
as nice as yours
I knew you were right 
when you commented about it
your body turned me on 
and so did your fat cock
but I still couldn't 
get hard 
and that annoyed you

we sniped 
standing naked
in a dimly lit room
that looked 
like the back
of a van

"well we're here and naked
let's at least try something."

I was never fully aroused

and of course I spat
you wanted it in my 
mouth when you came
but you'd covered your dick
with lotion! ugh

so much we didn't know 
or think about

still nude 
I called our mutual acquaintance
from your living room
and announced "I'm not a virgin 
anymore"

it wasn't quite true
but no matter
he was happy for us

"Wish I'd been there."

Yes, Fred, I know. :)

"Gawd! Would you get dressed 
and leave already?" I heard you say

and when you read the hurt 
on my face
you tried to say 
"well what if 
my parents come home." 

I wasn't in love, either
but it was still painful

I suppose we used each other
in a desperate way

some kind of 
mutually assured 
destruction

and we both agreed
no exchanging of phone numbers

It was a Saturday
and I remember thinking
about you the rest of the day
and into the evening 

I made popcorn on the stove 
and watched Saturday Night Live

they, we, were all so young then

all this I recall 
as if it were a month ago
everything 

except your name 

but why am I thinking 
of you?
why now?
you were only one
of...how many? who
are more fun to remember
than they were 
to experience 
at the time?

because you were 
the beginning of learning 
the ins and outs
of a hollowness 
I long to funnel 
my way out of?

I've loved and maybe 
been loved back

maybe

is that where it ends?

Everything seems over
before it starts

memories fade
even before they're created

shadows in reverse
some kind of time flux

a ride on a Möbius strip slide

I'm left feeling 
that what I want
out there
is not out there at all
but back when

and not because of 40 years 
of hysteria
at least not only that

no....

it's something to do 
with the promise
of a young life

 

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