Sweet Caroline
for D.B.A.

how do I explain
hitting you and hurting you
outside of or apart from
that incident resulting from
giving everything and getting nothing
or little or nothing back

your,
"Don't touch me! Don't touch me!"
is not to attempt to bar me from
unbuttoning or unzipping
or unsnapping your bra
and blouse and jeans
and whatever else
you happen to have on

it is instead to bar me
not from our getting into bed together
between bed spreads

it is not to bar me from your bed room
nor to bar me from your house

anywhere near is too near
is too close for comfort

I am, without end, being barred
from even- from ever entering your yard

what if you have access
to my heart and pockets
to my bank account

you can reach however far into me
pull out whatever or however much

I cannot touch the hem of your garment
without you suggesting
I sully or am sullying what is- who is holy

your resistance suggests
that I am out to hurt you, out to harm you

hit you to show you how very different
these two intentions are

but you are too precious to touch
to lay a hand or finger on

after you are allowed to- trusted to
handle and to manhandle my heart
or any other drum of mine that beats

what's to become of us- of me
harmless as a butterfly
treat me- respond as if
I were a wasp or a bee

not allowed to alight anywhere
upon any limb- anywhere upon
your anatomy or face
not even with kisses
when we were greeting or parting

too precious you are,
you are not to be touched

I can be kicked or slapped up
or stepped on and I must grin
I must bear it

I must like it and give gifts and finances
to show appreciation

if that ain't a lump of shit

what a lump of shit you are
I could spit, get over this, get this over with


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2010
1:36 a.m. 04.03.11