Exsqueeze me

Shopping aisle, busy bustle day
crowded scene, jostling
peripheral vision catches eye at play
too self assuredly stepping
by
you know, you slipped past behind me
just a little too close for comfort
conspiratorially just between I and see
fingers slide lightly as you depart

Now I’m sitting in the living room
at a friends party discussing
deepest political issue, and newspaper doom
with the presence overly leaning
in
a half drunken new boyfriend
with less drunk girlfriend glare
chancing an arm, then a hand
and a sudden urge to turn and dare

Go on:
what bodily extremity
will you stare
at, next?
bluntly, lustily?
in a less than deftly
handled
manoeuvre

manhandle
panhandle

strangle
the urge
to say:

I’m not yours
to have
nor hold
nor fondle
nor eyeball
nor friendly cuddle

You wanna be friendly?
Talk to me.