Opaqueaninnies

they jumped the showerhead 

and twisted its flimsy little neck  -  as it cried  -  to the wall so when the water surged         

itd surge at the back wall and save their bawdy entrance without splashing the square tiled bathroom floor or their foottwisted oriental bathmat

the shower was a beast at this hour                                                                  

trying to dictate that the hour  the early morning two a.m. hour

                                                                                                    wasnt an appropriate 

time to be showering playing and fondling under its heated silver threads                    

the butteryellow aura of candlelight  and strains of  

                                                                                    Traffics John Barleycorn Must Die

they were fast in their disagreement                                                                   

appropriate  had rare few places in their repertoire                                                         

and animate or inanimate dictates fell hard on their sternlined faces at their feet

the warm water bound and bind them as it ran through their hair as they kissed and 

groped each other

                               it twined down their spines and lapped at the cup of their buttocks 

between their agile fingers that ran like mad rakes on their slick flesh

                                                                                                                       gasps 

were gagged under its whisper

                                                     their bodies turned and bent and twisted           

mouths feast                                                                                                                

tongues lapped and curled

                                                                                                                      quivers 

were tied off  knotted

                                       pulsated and throbbed

                                                                                    maddening

but their attentions were off  exploring elsewhere 

                                                       delicately    and at turns rough

at a sudden  clasped facetoface again

she slipped in his arms

slipped against his erection

faced the sober showerhead as he

clutched her thigh as he

clutched her breast

as she went underwater  ribbons of water winding with the ribbons and plaits of her 

hair as he                                                                                                              

muzzled under their serpentine life kissing the nape of her neck the crest of her begging 

shoulders holding her dearly  jealously  as if life itself

she emerged gasping  sucking the humid air

filling her lungs and pushing firmly back against him as he

took her breasts  feeling her aeration  swelling    and tautness

                                                                                                                

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                        Rainmaker played

their sighs and laughter

then randomly she asked                                                                                       

if the shampoo bottles of the two pairs sitting in the shower caddy were smaller than their conditioner counterparts

scrutinizing their stature

                                                 he muttered absently          nearly incoherently              

--   Clear versus colored

--   Not colored  Opaque

--   Colored baby  Ones colored a pale limegreen  the others pale plum

--   Opaque

--   Opaque  Listen  If we agree opaque  I suppose I would call a colored person opaque 

too    an den   intoning a black voice   excuse me alta hell  ma racist folk art               

Opaqueaninnies                                                                                                                

by golly I got me Opaqueaninny salt and pepper shakers                                              

I got me Opaqueaninny ceramic creamer and sugar service                                           

I ulsa got me my Opaqueaninny capped and shiny red vested lawn jockey   Jocko!

--   Stop  Youre going to offend somebody

--   Nahinheer  Ays a Huckaberry sportin wid Jim on da thick jugular flow uda Mississippi   

dats wa ays                                                                                                 

But not in dis shower is ay                                                                                               

Ays just playin widja 

As you know  As you know best

Helps me  to play off the racism in the family 

--   Okay  okay then  Colored  Not opaque  You satisfied

he smiled  --   Baby  Trust me when I say youll never satisfy me  Never ever

1616,  Day-between-two-Ts,  17  7. 13