Mutual

Eyes locked, then away…

A forehead under lips,
Under a chin;
Face to face, soft cheeks press each other
Back into chest they lean. 

Eyes down:
Follow their hands — those hands!
Those hands! What joy in those hands,
To be found again and again!

What canvases,
These bodies we paint!
See the strokes they make!
Follow!

Master of one’s own end,
That unalienable right! 

Those small deaths we bring ourselves,
Masters of our own ends crafted
Under the loving gaze of another!
Backs arching, crying out with a shudder,
Seeing eyes turn unseeing,
Convulsing in our embrace,
The most primal, most private of moments
Stripped bare for our eyes to see:

What could possibly bring two closer than that?

January 27, 2026