Robert Fleming

Safe Sex

can i trust you

with what my father 

gave my mother

to make me?

whisper 

your sexual 

history

in my ear

what have you shared

with others?

when?

coo your hiv status

the first letter typed into a text

became part of the text

letters next to each other

and on the same line

 sometimes formed a word

and became part

of the text

when letters and numbers were insufficient

to express what needed to be expressed, 

the texter inserted an emoji,

that became part

of the text

the texter who became the sender

was grateful

that they could not see nor hear the receiver

but that did not become part 

of the text

when the texter clicked on send

zeros and ones went forth to a receiver

and the text was happy to have gone forth, 

to connect the sender and receiver,

who were happy to have texted,

to be

in different places

and be 

silent

a text went forth every minute

 

the man on my screen 

click on your face - 

dotted stubble 

in my p.m. window - 

my fingertips mouse 

for more- 

drag my pointer 

from your neck 

to your shoulder - 

drop my nails 

from your palm 

to your elbow - 

unzip your box - 

& close you up