115x365 - Shawn

shoulder blades sewn to concrete block walls, boys jostling each other forward, teacher's prompting tap, shoo –
heavy sighs, dya wanna, red-faced, chortling, self-conscious stutter of bundle of boys asking a few girls en masse
gambled requests to awkward arms-length gambol

dared that long walk from male wall across grade 7 gymnasium

tightrope approach
bedroom-poster eyes

slow, close Fonz-dancing
head tucked against my neck
abdominal heats across gap.

Almost Paradise
palms flat on my hips
making damp patches

the crush reciprocal