Still Life Poem by Dónall Dempsey

All you can hear is
the silence
of me being naked
and the softness of
charcoal shushing the air.

I dare to glance at you
hair falling across your eyes
& you glare back at me.
I tense the muscles in my back.
“Don’t move a muscle! ”
you whisper savagely.

I don’t dare - yet become erect.
“Ohh...! ” you swear.
This too you are obliged to
re...create
as my thighs...left buttock...right big toe.. both nipples
...my turn of head...my smile

appear on paper
whispered into being by the charcoal
and the gentleness of your smile.
And there I am
as naked as I can be.
You draw me
down on the bed

touch me ever so lightly...I react strongly.
“Now, let’s see what all this is about, shall we? ”