Intimacy Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Afraid of intimacy.
A heart that has been stung,
Just once...
Becomes more suspicious,
And less naive...
When a stinging from someone loved,
Is untimely done.

Afraid of intimacy.
Very few are ready to commit to this.
Until assured some consistency,
Is readily given...
In the sharing of mutual needs.

Not many will leave themselves open.
Or acknowledge publicly...
A wish for a love uncompared,
Shared in secret privacy.
And one devoted and discreet.

Afraid of intimacy?
Not me!
Whether private in discreet...
Or publicly displayed on crowded streets.
I seek a one on one!
That would suit me perfectly.
But these days that kind of intimacy,
Seems to be antiquated history.

Afraid of intimacy.
Very few are ready to commit to this.
Until assured some consistency,
Is readily given...
In the sharing of mutual needs.

And that would be my philosophy,
Regarding how I feel about intimacy.
An act complete of 'shared' familiarity.
Not something done to walk away from and leave.
That's nothing more than satisfying a convenience.