Railroad Lake, 2001

June 16, 2008

Railroad Lake, 2001

Undressing, we watched each other in the dark.
Cool early summer night covered our bare, naked bodies
When we raced down to the slippery bank. Slowing
To enter the almost cold, still water filled with
Slimy turtles darting under foot, scaly fish nipping body parts,
And gross green algae rubbing our pale soft skin.
A young blue-eyed country girl rubbed her small buttocks
Against me, neither could see the other blush.
We walked out to the drop-off until we were treading water,
We splunked and sploshed with each other,
Giggling as teenagers do. The houses across the lake
Barely illuminated our excited silhouettes as we floated flirting.
Too cold for comfort we swam back to the shore.
Shaking in the moon lit short grass we began getting dressed,
Deliberately bumping into each other. Finally,
As if it should have lasted longer, loading up
Into the truck and driving back where we came from.


A response to the poem “Belle Isle, 1949” by Philip Levine