Monday, June 6, 2011

Late night pool

The water fountains upward over a
dimly red lighted volcano-shaped spout,
heated ribbons falling to feed into the 'cooling' pond as
the darkness dances with the tall lights
stationed around the steaming pool.
If we hold still long enough, the entire
area becomes inky black
except for the faintly rosy glow of the geyser,
the motion lights drowsing and fading.
Mostly, we sit on the pool entry ramp up to our chests
in 104 degree water, gently leaning on foam floats
that the kids battled each other with earlier in the
day, gently wiggling toes and fingers, as we
talk and talk and talk about
our mates, children, jobs, recovery, parents,
aging, and where is God in all this and the
usual meaning of life stuff that best girl friends
talk about late at night when the offspring are
bedded or out. Neither of us cares about the
other's sagging body or dowdy swim suit
as we eagerly catch up on thoughts and ideas
though we only had coffee the day before.
A dazzling profusion of stars twinkle at us,
flickering across the still water,
the only light as long as only our lips are moving.
We watch first a plane and then a satellite
determinedly travelling on their respective
trajectories across the star-spangled sky,
as we debate the characteristics that identify
various celestial bodies, while the guys
hide down at the other end of the acre size
hot springs, speaking the manly language
of grunts and nods, so dull to our sparkling eyes.

(Posted for Week 46, 6/16/11, Thursday Poet's Rally)

9 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed reading this well written piece. There is nothing like the intimacy of dear close friends, people who you can truly be yourself with, irregardless of sagging body or dowdy swimsuit. You have captured this so very well with your words. Nicely done.

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  2. You have succeeded in capturing a beautiful intimate moment between friends. Every moment was so palpable thanks to your beautiful imagery and story-telling. You know guys really do appear to have boring largely guttural conversations. I think they are probably holding out on us, not letting on that they can in fact carrying on coherent and meaningful dialogue lest we badger them more about what they are thinking lol

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  3. Can I be your BFF! LOL The image you created and the story you told through this poem is absolutely wonderful. The tone and word choice is perfect - so fitting of the moment of intimacy that you revealed.

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  4. lol to the last line! This is wonderfully written poem with the inclusion of lovely details :)

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  5. K McGee beat me to it! I want to be your BFF too! The only thing I missed was a description of how full of watery mist the scented air undoubtedly was (and that is not meant as a negative thing at all since it made my mind fill it in all by itself - good little mind! *smile*). I like it!

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  6. there is such a gentle, flowing, intimate feel to this. To have it end with a touch of humour is brilliant. well done.

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  7. I love this. So warm and intimate as you can only be with the friend/s who have gone through the years with you. Beautifully penned down to the grunts :)

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  8. Brilliantly vivid piece, you obviously have a strong knowledge of poetry.

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