First Birthday Party

Burgers and beer in
The afternoon
At the end of August
Swing set
Kiddie pool
Miles Davis on the radio
Talk and laughter
Over continuous jokes
About sex
Or who we met at the
Show last night
Kids fish through the cooler
Looking for Cokes
While Mom and Dad
Try out a
New brand of Long Island iced tea
And as the afternoon
Lags on
The potato salad
Sours in the hot sun
But there's still a whole other
Tub in the fridge
Nothing ever goes wrong
On a late, lazy Sunday afternoon
Barbecuing with friends
For a first birthday party

Copyright © Paul Maggi 2003

Tan Lines

It's hot in the shade today while
All the girls walk by in shorts and
Little tank tops with thin straps.
Dozens of breasts quivering,
Pushing strollers along or
Carried on roller blades.
Legs go walking down the street
Attached in the middle.
Tanned skin, pale skin, dark skin—
Any skin looks good
In this heat.
Soft, sinful flesh smooth as silk,
Hot as a knife through butter.
Watching ass cheeks shift in
Capris and just underneath
The sway of a red skirt.
A few tread the asphalt in
Halter tops or bikinis and
Bicycle shorts, showing
Off the tan lines.
I like to see the lighter flesh
Poking through the fabric
Flaunting what you're not
Supposed to see.
She looks so good and I
Bet she tastes and feels
Even better than I expect her to.
Another is there by the water fountain
Drinking after her jog
Bending down in front of me
Dark cleavage adjusted
As I wonder what it's like
To be tucked under that
Elastic with her.
They come up with their
Dogs or their walkmans
And ask what I'm listening to.
It's the blues program on
College radio
Makes the heat last longer, I tell them,
And the shade cooler
But really, I like the dirty tones
And the coarse vocals.
The slow drive of the rhythm
Section like a pulse
Makes the hot grass greener
And sex in the heat
Easier to imagine.

Copyright © Paul Maggi 2003

Curse of the Monkey Woman

she swings from trees
and hangs by her feet
when it rains she finds
shelter in the canopy

she makes fire with friction
and builds tools with her hands
when she hungers she hunts
gentle creatures in the jungle

     she thinks
            and makes decisions

     she lives free
            on her own terms

     she survives
            dependent on her ferocity

     but now
     she is
     mounted
     on my wall
     with all my
     other
     trophies

Copyright © Paul Maggi 2003

Pick My Scabs and Let Them Bleed

When I get cut I let the wound heal
for a few days before I pick at it
I get a good thick scab that I
have to work with my fingernails
for a while before I get a good hold
At first I peel it back slowly
exposing raw skin just underneath
Watch the blood ooze up thick and
red under the new flap I just made
Depending on where it is I might
play with it a little more than normal
For instance, a cut on top of the
hand can be pumped by flexing
fingers and holding a clenched fist
One on the palm can be sufficiently
excavated to strip away sheets of
skin and callous around the area
But when hidden under clothing
they're off limits and bothersome
You can't even scratch them when they're
at their worst in the beginning as
the blood starts clotting and closing the
two sides in to join them in the middle
If they bleed, another shirt is ruined
So I try to keep the cuts on my hands
for as long as I can and often pick
at hangnails even if there aren't any
My girlfriend used to get upset by
my scars and the continual appearance
of band-aids covering fresh wounds
but she doesn't know how hard it is
to keep your hands busy while
you're trying to quit smoking again

Copyright © Paul Maggi 2003