She Had Bought a Negligee

far from here and never worn.


“It’s red” I mused.
She giggled or anticipated.
They were words, not words
as they can be words
said to break the ice.
“Yes, it is” with a broad smile
then hid her lower lip
behind her upper teeth
and lashed down expectantly
waiting for my mouth
would say no more
words more than icebreakers.

And it was a song,
and I saw
she hadn’t known
as I hadn’t.
Only dreamt.
Of an island.
Or a better
Amish world
on a Vangelis
tune promising
creativity.

Those are words of course
as they are words and no more.

She also knew to do the dishes;
not to wet me she pushed with her pulses.
Hey, I saw you smile in the uncommon mirror
when I kissed the curve between your neck and shoulder.

I’ll paint you in despair because I cannot as you are,
although I think I know a lot as you do and cannot
hold me in your words, only in the no-words
between the lines where none can find
me or you in my hemp abstracts.

A negligee is easier and says a lot
which is why I said it’s also red
and can be seen and caught in that word
so openly pregnant of many no-words.

She doesn’t iron, she folds. That’s a secret
not unknown under women.
Or men.

04/08/09
Copyright © | Year Posted 2009


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Date: 10/14/2010 4:55:00 AM
Love the conversational voice, the domestic familiarity and the cool flow. A beautiful poem, my friend.
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Date: 10/7/2009 9:24:00 AM
u` re quite unbelievable!
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Date: 9/30/2009 10:54:00 AM
I'm eh honestly delighted.
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Date: 9/29/2009 11:57:00 AM
Jan, congratulations on making the first round of the contest...Raul
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Date: 9/24/2009 2:30:00 PM
Congrats!! Love Light Truth Patricia
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Date: 9/24/2009 10:16:00 AM
Congratulations on your poem making it through the first round.Wishing you the best in the finals. Love, Carol
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Date: 8/3/2009 11:59:00 AM
Congratulations on your well deserved poetry being selected to be featured this week Jan . Love, Carol
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Date: 8/3/2009 10:34:00 AM
AWESOME!!!!! This write brings back a memory of when I bought my girl a sassy leopard skin neglige'...HeHE.... Great night.... Congrats on the feature......:JP]
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Date: 8/3/2009 8:43:00 AM
Jan congrats on having your poetry featured - I enjoyed the read - God Bless, MJ
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Date: 8/3/2009 4:31:00 AM
Congratulations on being featured>>James
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Date: 4/17/2009 9:49:00 AM
Ty all, Your feedback means alot to me. If permitted I'd say I know a lot of definitions about poetry. Each seems to disagree with the latter, that's why it would be nice if "shawlness" (shallowness?) was explained, Nadia.
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Date: 4/17/2009 6:27:00 AM
Please add some splendor's depth into your poetry...discarding shallwness please because poetry is the soul's pure faith. Thanks.
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Date: 4/14/2009 4:43:00 PM
Very intriguing, Jan. Love the way you describe the way you "would say no more words more than icebreakers." And the last verse is quite witty as well! Nice to read your work! Best Wishes, Carolyn
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Date: 4/14/2009 4:07:00 PM
brilliant-well penned my friend -charma
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Date: 4/14/2009 3:14:00 PM
Nice wrok Jan, I welcome you to poetry soup.
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