no shame

my inlaws have this place

white painted villa

with the kidney pool

halfway up the volcano

one of the islands

& I was invited for a week

putting some sun

on this white flabby body

sipping Osborne’s 103

trying to get the next line down

wandering the hot tiles

in a purple sarong huaraches

humming to the horizon

& the comments got stronger

about the state of this body

skimming the shimmering baldosas

in such a state of undress

then apparently to make it stronger

the neighbours were making comments

about the crazy gringo talking to the air

I said to tell ‘em

just a poet at work

& at that

they nodded sagely

es loco no?

for then

there was no more need

for shame