One Night Stand Poem by RIC BASTASA

a one-night stand is easily forgotten
because it usually happens when the world is drunk
i mean, both of us, for on such a one-night stint
we stink, and we smell what we hate,
betrayal of our innate dignities,
we fear,
about what tomorrow shall say
about our shamefulness,
and on the following morning after we have stained
every skin of our body,
we take a thorough bath,
we wash our body with scented soap,
lots of hot water,
we avoid the gaze
we seem to think
this is all a mistake and we do not want to repeat it,
ah, promises of another mad lover,
we think of the money involved,
and the wasted time,
and the fear of being discovered by a neighbor,
we get out of this mess
not remembering any name
mine or yours,
we hate this, we like to tell the bulb
we switch it off,
and then we go back to the lighted world
outside the door.

another night knocks,
i press your number on the cellphone.
this madness, on the other hand,
i tell myself, is keeping me sane and alive.

another one-night stand
is in the offing. Delicious.