Tuxedo

I was out with friends
drowning my heartache when
he walked into a redneck bar
wearing a tuxedo
and I laughed.

I’d had a drink or
five too many
feeling very bold
I strode up to him
ran my finger
down his silky lapel and asked
“Why a tuxedo?”

“I just came from a bowling banquet”
he said in all seriousness
as if that made perfect sense.
“Do you wanna to dance?”

Sliding together
on a crowded dance floor
me in my white cotton dress
someone asked
if were just married
he told them yes
gave me a kiss
left me breathless.

Then he said
“My girlfriend dumped me tonight.
Come back to my place
help me forget her?”

Too inebriated
to find better judgment
I followed him
out the door
and by moonlight
sampled expectation
sprinkled with desire
too luscious to savor
or dunk in illusion
impatient fervor
somatic fusion
hot breath on cool skin
temporary collusion.

But we were both
hung up on other people
using each other as
Band-Aids for broken hearts.

Six months of lust
was all we had
with no lies
false expectations,
or phony declarations.

We both moved past our pain
and each other
but I still laugh
when I think about
him in that dive bar
wearing a tuxedo.

________________________________________


I wanted to send a Christmas poem, but all of my Christmas poems are rather sad, and after watching your autograph signing Monday, I am not sad at all. It was delightful.

I pulled this poem out of moth balls. Sorry, it isn't one of my best, but it is all true.















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