Tense Sexy

Adam Stutz

The moment is marked/by a 
marginal spark/of well-timed 
slights/crawling up my 
sleeve/we rhyme slant/
 
sip sarcasm/just keep lighting 
me up/while we sweat the 
heavy yellow light of the 
afternoon/it is lovely
 
a letter of ribbing/I save the 
burn scars & they sting/
when I graze them/indexing 
with my finger/the tense
 
is sexy/the joyful crash of 
sharp grins/fleeting 
snipes/when the sighs of 
leave/are swallowed/
 
the humid afternoon & 
looming torpor/imbibing 
us/slinking away in sweaty 
seats/I will savor the slow
 
burn braided w/a slight 
memory of sarcasm on my 
lips/& << really? you don’t 
say? >> will evoke small
 
smirks/from the passenger seat 
& a prayer/in pressed palms/all 
of this friendly fire/is a small 
warmth to hold