A poem a day in April from Rutgers English PhD students and friends.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Simile Factory

“Her palms – smooth and soft as a woman’s thighs—"
My Lord Barbarian by Andrew J. Offuitt

Her mouth – red and moist as a woman’s vagina—
Her hair—shining and feathered as a woman’s wig—
Her shoes—leathery and rich as a woman’s handbag—

My moustache—bristly and fragrant as a man’s beard—
My voice—gravelly and authentic as a recording of a man’s voice—
My thighs—tough and calloused as a man’s palms—

Your eyes—watery and stinging as a voyeur’s eyes—
Your fingers—trembling and typing as a typist’s fingers—
This poem—visible on the screen as a poem you are reading—

All three of us—distinct as three different people—
Our communion—intense as three people having an intense experience—
Our response—memorable as our response

This menage a trois is so precisely like a menage a trois is what I mean but maybe
now I need you two to help me out

2 comments:

  1. "My thighs—tough and calloused as a man’s palms—"

    This inversion of the epigraph is perfect -- after five lines you think nothing can sound more absurd, but then there it is, the sixth line, even more absurd!

    Also nice use of tercets!!

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