Waiting in Line

Peter Dale Scott
From:   Murmur of the Stars: Selected Shorter Poems. Montreal: Vehicule Press, 1994, 130; published in U.S. as Crossing Borders: Selected Shorter Poems. New York: New Directions, 1994, 119.

while you chatter you
reach out and take my hand
I am silent

even when you tickle
my palm slowly
and deliciously

I do nothing
but when you raise
my arm to your breast

something obliges me
to say You know I don't know you
you cover your face

your callow friend
in a tweed much like mine
says girls from Fresno

are real friendly
but nothing can quite undo
that moment of pleasure

we both got into
not even your
I'm sorry sir!

Here's hoping
someday perhaps
you will enjoy poetry

and be glad to read this

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Peter Dale Scott's works copyright © to the author.