The Internet Creative Writing Archive

"The Carnival of Age"

a poem by Jonas Peterson

I explored the forbidden actions,
the forbidden length of passion,
the inside of one knee to the other.
Squeezing living flesh slow and firmly,
awaking to harmonious hums and flushing,
I descended into the darkness under the covers,
your heart skipped beats like a jazz drum,
but I didn’t let it go.

I won you at a ball toss
in the carnival of age.

I keep you suspended with touch,
let the arch of your back diffuse with a hiss,
kiss you thankfully on the navel,
“Laugh a little”, you’re a playful girl.
You stare up at the rafter lights, I see the truth off-stage,

I won you at a ball toss
in the carnival of age.

Gray tomorrow.
Coffee and cookies,
I’ve never seen this side of us,
never been inside of us.
What backward culture
Did my quiet mouth engage?

I won you at a ball toss
In the carnival of age.

Many days later, we took to the night again,
and sacred sexual pleasure, like black and white
silent movie picture shows, was just a humorous relic.
Many days later it was night, we took from each other
but gave nothing back,
and you laughed out loud at loving,
and it ended in a huff,
and our silence spoke of grieving,
like the gravestone in the bluff,
and I needed more than nothing,
and it ended in a huff

I swallowed liquid fire,
to fire a bolt of rage,
I won you at a ball toss
in the carnival of age.


 

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