Polaroid Girl
your body
clings to me
like ivy finding its way
in serpentine patterns
over the cracks
and crevices of
an antique brick wall
and i still remember
the way you turned
your face away
even as you pushed
your naked breasts
into sharp focus
when you first became
my Polaroid girl
you watched and giggled
when i fumbled to find
the perfect angle
to capture
the passionate collision
of Venus and Mars
my finger snapping the shutter
and igniting a sudden flash of light
that made me flinch
"Quit moving," you cautioned
"Or you'll just get a blur"
and how could i not
instantly watch my love develop
there with you
my Polaroid girl
the years run past
like shadows overlapping
sunny daisies
and somewhere in a shoe box
or beneath the underwear
in my drawer
a younger woman
with a body serene
(although slightly tinted bluish green)
lingers in my memory
the you in you
who discovered that the freedom to be
exists far beyond
the clunky white borders surrounding
my Polaroid girl
clings to me
like ivy finding its way
in serpentine patterns
over the cracks
and crevices of
an antique brick wall
and i still remember
the way you turned
your face away
even as you pushed
your naked breasts
into sharp focus
when you first became
my Polaroid girl
you watched and giggled
when i fumbled to find
the perfect angle
to capture
the passionate collision
of Venus and Mars
my finger snapping the shutter
and igniting a sudden flash of light
that made me flinch
"Quit moving," you cautioned
"Or you'll just get a blur"
and how could i not
instantly watch my love develop
there with you
my Polaroid girl
the years run past
like shadows overlapping
sunny daisies
and somewhere in a shoe box
or beneath the underwear
in my drawer
a younger woman
with a body serene
(although slightly tinted bluish green)
lingers in my memory
the you in you
who discovered that the freedom to be
exists far beyond
the clunky white borders surrounding
my Polaroid girl
this is lovely, the words flow so smoothly into each other...
ReplyDeleteI recently threw away some naked old photos of a former flame...I was thinking I wouldn't want my daughter or grandchildren to find them after I am dead and gone...silly isn't it?
Delete"I recently threw away some naked old photos of a former flame"
DeleteNo, not silly ... prudent ... my son has strict orders to sort through everything and eliminate what he thinks might be embarrassing. He understands that real life is real life ... and I'm pretty sure he won't be shocked by anything.
oh well guess I wasn't to far off in my thinking then ;)
Delete... the you in you ... I love that!! I guess we all have a polaroid memory somewhere ....
ReplyDeleteGreat write ....
Yes, we all have memories that we keep private, most of them quite wonderful ...
DeleteSome memories are tied up with pretty ribbons, while others are stored in a secret place that only I know about ...
ReplyDeletePolaroid is a great word to use, synonomous with memories. Neat to compare it to love developing. One gets the impression she is still with you, and these are treasured memories of when she was younger. Lovely poem, should go in the Collected Love Poems of Kennedy James! How is the story for the competition shaping up?
ReplyDelete