Foreign body heat, <br />constricting my chest. <br />Unknown hands upon my back. <br />a gentile pat – feels like a caress. <br />Stay away from me, <br />and touch me not. <br /> <br />You are scaring me, <br />The anticipation of it. <br />Those wiry arms reaching, <br />Chapped lips sweeping against my check. <br />You are scaring me, <br />Please come no closer. <br /> <br />And the eyes - <br />unintentionally intimate. <br />Peering shyly, looking away. <br />It is always the same. <br />Man or woman, <br />You are Medusa to me. <br /> <br />My hands go numb, <br />as my space is invaded. <br />A nonnative scent, like a sour flower <br />Fills my nostrils. <br />I hold my breath. <br />Pretending to smile. <br /> <br />Then, the hulk of a body retracts, <br />and my guts quake. <br />The skin, <br />it hurts where you touched me - <br />allergic to your salt. <br />In a few minutes, <br />I’ll be able to breathe again.<br /><br />Jennifer Strubel<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-hate-good-byes/
