The Roommate

That room; And the bathroom too, She made them alien territory. My petty sentiments kicked in, And made me a slave to my roommate. The scented atmosphere, stockings; Frilly brassieres in plain sight, And blouses bright as gardens—thrilling, But foreign! Lo, an invasive roommate. Some mornings she would come Out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam: Hair in a towel— enchantingly beautiful : A leg flashing from her bathrobe; The roommate's pre-dating game. Some nights she would stay in bed. The seductive V beneath her throat aloof. She thought it so peaceful to be with me. She would leave my mind intertwisted; The ideal roommate for me. She would talk about her lover In such excruciating detail, But the whispery flute of her voice Was so light it made everything Around her seem heavy and harsh. My jowls sagged as they listened to her. I sat with her like those monoliths, My squat boulders plumped upright. I regretted every night I let her Sleep on the bed next to mine. The soft breaths of my sleeping beauty Would leave me dreaming of dominion. I would gaze at her face for a little while; Longer everyday because She was my roommate. Once she went away for a night. I left the lights off and just stood there; I just breathed the alien air,the perfume. Then I crept to her closet; I reached inside; I hid a letter for her to find. She read my letter and one night She was scared of the dark. She invited me over to her bed. My hand rubbed against her velvet skin And my little heart played rock 'n' roll. I rubbed a slip of hers between my fingers It was so sheer it seemed to catch on The ridges of my fingerprints. That night I had my very first kiss From my roommate.