The Undertow

The Undertow The two could feel the undertow Pull at them both - then let them go He wondered if she could know Or sense it too and let it flow The undertow in the fast-running tide Ebbed and flowed at the pair inside It was hard for them to try to hide Or even attempt to suppress the ride That surge and then the ebb once more The Rush built up from their very core The current swirled - came to the fore Then swooshed away across the floor Interwoven hands, too soon withdrawn Leaving both feeling strangely forlorn A stolen glance, a touch so warm A glimpse, a look - but ne'er of scorn Her words, well-chosen, seem to stop Start again then her eyes she drops Then looks again at his face. His top Looks away - her stilted words now cropped He holds her stare, her lovely eyes And feels her silent, halted sighs Her stifled, unspoken, suppressed cries Sees the passion in her that her calm belies Quickly looks away in self-disgust Tries to quell his latent lust Changes subject - as he must As she shares her thoughts, her fears, her trust As if she knows, touches his forearm Speaking words of soothing calm A caress, almost, there seems no harm But inside them both, frenzied alarm The undertow steals their sense Their brief, snatched moments so intense The gulf between the two immense He shakes his head at his own nonsense Her blazing eyes of charcoal black Glisten as she, again, looks back Fervent ardour she does not lack Starts work again, gets back on track With apologies she resumes her work She hates to stop, to slack, to shirk Yet the undertow still seems to lurk Their minds and bodies both berserk He gets up to go - starts to rise She turns her head as if in surprise And with pleading, impassioned eyes Without any sign of guile or guise Utters, "Don't leave. Please stay!" The undertow pulling them every way Both of them wanting, but none could say How, or what, or from where the sway In a sudden haze of fear and doubt Random thoughts scream and shout "Leave right now, don't flirt or flout Go ‘fore the undertow drags you out" The electric charge hangs in the air The touches, the looks, the sheer despair His futile thoughts, beyond repair He eyes her breasts, her face, her hair So caught up in the undertow He wants to stay but has to go They both stand up - both aglow Courteous, but both did know The undertow had, indeed, caught them It held them in a fierce maelstrom And in this state of silent mayhem He knew that he'd now work in bedlam The tentative hug, the polite embrace Finally came - and not in haste He felt her body, felt her face Heard her kind, friendly words so chaste In the undertow they were swept Older man, young woman, both adept But at this moment both were kept Beyond logic or reason, both inept Without warning he kissed her neck Not knowing why but she seemed not vexed Knew he shouldn't – at himself perplexed His unwarranted thought of sex Suddenly he spun away Escaped the undertow's lurid play And left her there, probably in dismay With her elegant poise and calm display Never once did she seem upset By the unexpected kiss that she did get Nor did she scoff - maybe she'll forget Or thinks it was just friends who met If there was hurt he hopes it mends Undertow shocks, sometimes offends Until then he hopes each ear will lend Their attention to listen to each other’s friend.