- Six Hands -

In the afternoon bar of a business hotel
Far enough away from home
I met you and I met you too
To see if what we'd heard was true.

I answered your profile with seven words
Like a taste of things to come
We had a bit of message fun
And then we turned the cameras on.

Whereas you found me on your brave first night
Your avatar a garden gnome
So very shy in words alone
So very shy upon the phone.

We talked about you after cameras off
And so decided to become
A couple for convenience
To enter an experience.

A brief introduction opened your shell
You found a female friend welcome
Our faces in a conference call
As inhibitions gently fall.

It was you in your blossoming shyness first
Brought up that word that ends in some
A thing we felt had passed us by
We all secretly longed to try.

In the afternoon bar of a business hotel
Where we have booked a room to roam.

A little wine to loosen cares
Six hands in hands
Let's go upstairs.

*

- All They Need (Sonnet) -

They miss the closeness, all the traps of love,
They sometimes feel alone, or dropped, or left.
The single people. Logging in, in hope,
And hoping for a number next to "Mail"
Not always there. Their login names above,
Identities for those who feel bereft,
Inclined to cast themselves as ones who fail
And sit, logged in, still lonely, and they mope.
But that's just bad days. Those days can be turned
Around by just a nudge, a wink, a flirt
From those who want to Mingle Too, who've learned
To act, and now: we're long beneath the dirt.

And all they need is contact and a chance,
And that will keep us smiling as we dance.

*

- Worship -

I want
To worship
You from afar
With your fetish
Upon my screen.

I want
To see you
As you see me
The way we were meant
To be seen.

I want
To tell you
And have you tell me
Of the things
We would do
If we met.

And we both want
To leave it
Quite neatly as that.

You should not meet your gods
Till you're set.

*

- I Don't Date Blacks -

I asked her what she was looking for
She said a bunch of stuff
Then said
"I don't date blacks."

Now, this was before the digital photo,
The affordable webcam,
The exhaustive profile.
So I was mostly just a name
And words on a heavy monitor.

And I bristled.
This'll not stand.
And so I planned.

She had no reason,

Beyond "didn't like them",
So I gave her no reason to walk away.

And over chats became warm and light,
She said she liked me,

And over chats became hot and heavy,
She said she wanted me,

Whoever that was.

I found a photo of a handsome man.
"This is me", I said.
And pictured her racist face, slack,
Falling like unrolling scripture,
Having fallen for the "black"
In the picture.

She turned about and ceased to call.
As it transpired, with regret,
I never found out
If, as I suspect,
My plan had backfired,

I may have given her a reason after all.

*

- With a Spoon -

Don't take to your feet
If I talk too sweet
Too soon
There's no cause for alarm
I'm just pouring the charm
With a spoon
And as syrup so golden when seen from above
Looks leaden from underneath
What's viewed as shiny
And fine from up here
Might be more than just bad for your teeth
If it sets them on edge
I'll hedge
My bets and jump to my senses
Like discarded pants and put them on
Put yourself at ease
And give me a squeeze
Of lemon
I can take it
I need toning down
Not turning down like an over-heard tune
A stroke of the arm
While I'm pouring the charm
With a spoon.


[Sorry if you've read these before, especially if you didn't enjoy them the first time. If you have or haven't, I'd love a little comment or two.]

Why, thank you.