Plato’s Moon Child

It’s incredible to me that this big, strong man can also seem just like a fragile little boy. When we sleep together at night, he wraps himself around me, so peaceful and beautiful. We lie heavily against each other the entire night. Our bodies are two pieces of a puzzle. When we lie together, I feel like I’m finally complete. There’s neither too much nor too little; only a simple precision, just as it should be. Some mornings, when I wake up, he’s so hungry for me that he’s already pushed himself inside me. It’s almost automatic how he just slips in. Then he’s so gentle that I feel a sting of gratitude.

Vanity I

Vanity I

I really don’t own cosmetics; I’ve never been very good at dressing myself up. My makeup bag is so empty that when I unzip it, I expect moths to fly out. But instead, old mascara, half-empty powder, lipstick, and a Swiss Army knife clink around inside the bag. I bought the knife right before I traveled to Central America. I mainly used it to open beer, but I once used it to slice a mango on a beach on the way south, in Mexico.

It’s so wonderful how he likes me exactly as I am. He gets irritated, seems even hurt, if I put on makeup, and he asks accusingly, “Who are you doing that for?” I don’t understand why he gets so jealous; I would never want to be with anyone else. He’s so ethical, unlike anyone I’ve ever met. He just doesn’t want me to poison him with additives and preservatives. I don’t need to wear lipstick for him; he thinks my bare lips are perfectly kissable.

Internet Friends I

Internet Friends I

He’s always chatting on the internet. Sometimes it’s like he disappears into his laptop. When he’s off in his digital world, I can’t reach him. We first became friends on the internet. We got wrapped up in each other. When I was in Central America, I was often lonely, and the time difference didn’t seem to matter: he was always online when I needed somebody to talk to. Now we’re on the same continent, in the same country, in the same home, and he’s more distant than ever. He’s still on the computer, grinning, sniggering over some bit of cleverness while I’m hanging out, waiting for him to turn his attention to me.