I do not know how to ripen when my lover undresses
this was not how we began I have a history of ripening
in public places—at Dominos when she rubbed my thighs
under the table, with her feet. in church when she hugged
me tightly, whispered I want it her tongue flicking
my ear—I was born chasing light. never one to turn
eyes from the sun. so
where did the body learn this allergy this
aversion to turgidity my lover undresses & I stay drooped
like a towel silent as a table. no one teaches you
how to grieve an erection this is a side effect
of buying happiness from the psychiatrist the meds
mistake your hardness for an obstacle liquefy your resolve.
luster peeling off my skin,
I miss the days when
staring at a mannequin too long could stir
uprisings in my shorts …