I don’t kiss strangers
though others often do
my lips speak and
they taste and feel
they whistle and hum
they smile and then
then they also frown
they are the two
fleshiest parts of me
connected to my heart
and my brain and
my loins so no
handsome I won’t kiss
you for now you
are still a stranger
and until all of
my other parts know
you just as well
they’ll say no to
every kiss you ask
Category: Gay
BedBoxMe
I sleep alone
in a bed
made for two
like tea for
two yet drank
only by one
if my bed
were a box
sent to someone
whatever was inside
would be broken
having moved about
with no comfort
well I guess
that it is
so am I
HimHimMyHim
I can see him
here there and everywhere
that I’ve ever been
but when I approach
he quietly slips away
my someone into a
sea of someone else’s
leaving me to search
excuse me sir I’m
sorry sir didn’t mean
to disturb you sir
I’ve never found that
twinkle of surprised recognition
not once never ever
and now I’ve stopped
recognizing the one face
in almost every crowd
content in the knowledge
that when not if
he will see me
PetStoreWindows
Now that the apps
are gone I’m realizing
that I didn’t use
them to quench desire
but rather to fill
the gaps with distraction
and if one distraction
decided to yap back
like that one puppy
in the pet store
then he might be
the one to come
home with me the
distraction turned to life
but I’d already had
one life my life
what I really wanted
was something to take
me away from it
not add to it
now no more apps
no more window shopping
in pet store windows
Frame
The apps have
pics of people
men and women
and that’s it
just pics and
pics and more
pics of strangers
no more important
than those found
in frames ready
for purchase in
most novelty stores
one rarely buys
the frame for
the pic one
buys the frame
for the pic
you put inside
we’re all frames
framing those pics
dear to us
and the strangers
first to go
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 