Never had one, never wanted, never even thought of it
Somehow our love life lived! so simple and so bold
notion of such toys did not arise — felt inapplicable
like . . . sourcing clockwork spoons for sipping soup?
or . . . Bluetooth lipstick brush, perchance ?
Not a bad thing, not a wrong thing, just unneeded,
somehow trivial, too jokey, really not the point
Perhaps, almost, an insult to pure and perfect gourmet fare
on offer at our sweet nightly (sunbright, twilit) feasts?
Now everything so different — now this too
A shapely deep red rose . . . of yielding silicone
provided with a different, robust, curvy kind of stem
both throb/pulse/softly hum responding to your flesh, your touch
and then you throb/pulse/hum responding back
Odd history — sought potted blooms on Amazon
to send across the miles as wholesome birthday gift
and when I entered single search word — rose
suggestion popped up right away — rose sex toy (?)
appearing first, above promoted perfumes, before sweet soaps,
or seeds, or jams, or living green-leafed blooms
As if this oddball iteration was now new norm!
Was sort of shocked, and then intrigued
enough at least to click the box and sudden see
a whole wide world of floral solo sex on offer there
Who knew? (all knew, it seems, or many, just not me)
that flower human sex time was out there, was a thing
My own long-standing love for blossoms swift snapped off
and stuck inside my purse or shopping sack
as I walk down our city streets to check off daily tasks
this taste reads slightly different now — added meaning lurks
in long thick stalks and solid buds of randomly plucked rose
thrust deep into front pocket of my pretty shoulder bag
And, soon enough, returned online and clicked to buy
And soon enough the deep red rose arrived
Inside a handsome textured matte black box
And when at last I tried, to my surprise it swiftly/smoothly took me!
took me back to feelings, heat and dreams from so so long ago
before bereavement, brutal loss, long deadheart solitude
Strangely similar sensations — body still remembering
still seeing, wanting, needing . . . still capable of glad.