talking of napes

/why i get lonely enough to want to sleep with strangers

you, though not unaware of the dangers

of lonely melancholy evenings, had asked

how one could sleep with strangers

so, i was just thinking of this the other day

staring at a beautiful nape

i was thinking of how in field i'd starve

for just such a thing

for months at a time to see a beautiful hand

or even a shapely wrist

the most intimate i'd ever get was with co-passengers in shared taxis

like this one time sitting in the back of a jeep on benches facing each other

i look at my thin middle-aged neighbour

a compact man in a knitted sleeveless woolen sweater

over a check shirt and glasses that make him look like a teacher

and think, nice jeans, before i realize that it is my own knee

i’m looking at. he has his arm around my leg, his elbow in my crotch

his hand pinned in place at the notch below his watch

by the back of the guy crouching in the space between my legs

i can’t move a muscle

my hand grazing against his stubble

everytime we go over bumps or sharply turn. the jeeps jumps and dips

shoving my shoulder in someone's armpit and someone's elbow in my ribs

and of course there are kids

one at each window. the girl with messed up hair

the small boy almost in tears

from puking. and there’s a beautiful woman too

sitting in front on my side, more composed. she clears

her throat, spits a couple of time to get the taste of bile

out of her mouth and is back inside

nonchalantly wiping her mouth everytime she’s done

but like love and longing barf too comes in bouts

and so she’d be out again with a lurch and a list

sending a fine spray onto my nape

that hasn’t in ages been touched

that’s been craving to be kissed