Intimacy {for Karen Villegas} Poem by Shane Markie

Women say they want more intimacy in sex
Which men take to mean --
intimacy will lead to more sex
So we give it a try.

The whole idea of sharing something
That you are not comfortable sharing.
The big things inside
That you'd like to keep inside
Private, secret stuff
That should stay down in the basement.

'I want you to share your feelings, ' she says,
So I make a point of sometimes saying
'I feel good, ' or 'I feel sad.'
'What are you sad about? ' she replies -
Jesus Christ, this can't be going somewhere good.

Tell me the things you've never told anyone
You mean from my basement
Yes, take me to your basement, she says
Snuggling closer and holding me tight.
I ain't taking you to my basement
Maybe I'll bring up one box.

I have such a basement
Full, messy, piles of boxes, of fears and perversions
Stacked and strewn all over
I don't even like to go down there myself.

But I have given her a peek
Shared a couple of unmanly fears
And found a sympathetic ear
But not a look of admiration
Not a woman compelled to tear mine or her clothes off.

There is some sex stuff down in the basement
Women say they want honesty
But a man has to be careful
Many cold nights may lie ahead
For the husband who reveals honest thoughts of the baby sitter.

I'm not sure women really want to know
I think they may like the hidden mysteries
Something to work at
Something hard to press against
As long as there remains one box unopened
Hope is preserved, that maybe one day
Its contents will fill whatever seems to always be missing.