COOLING OFF

Like fallen warriors,
we collapse side by side,
glistening in the sweaty afterglow.

Limbs still entangled,
too exhausted to sing the other’s praise,
we stare at the blades of the bedroom fan
slowly circling above.

A lone,
satisfying sigh
escapes in between your deep,
cleansing breathes.

Your smile
reflects in the brass, ball base
of the rotating fan.
I smile in return,
unable to rescue my gaze
from the fan
cooling off our steaming bodies.

Slowly,
your right hand moves;
fingers entangle with those on my left.
I still taste you on my lips.

I silently laugh to myself
upon the realization that I still have one sock on;
the other dangling on the end of a fan blade.

The remainder of our clothes
strewn around the room
as if the hamper had exploded.
Your brassiere
ruined when I removed it
with my teeth.

Beads of sweat roll down my thigh
where our legs remain interlocked –
I love the smooth contrast of your skin
against my sun dried legs.

The ever so slight breeze
created by the fan
is starting to dry our exposed skin
as we slowly regain strength.

The circling blades hypnotize.
The subtle,
rhythmic hum
from the fan motor
mixes with the recent memory
of the rhythmic dance
just concluded.

Your hand,
now lightly brushing against me,
is re-energizing my engine.

Slight,
involuntary movements
near your finger tips
indicate our dance may not yet be over.

I blink
to interrupt my transfixed,
mesmerized relationship
with the ceiling fan,
so I can once again
concentrate on you.

Energy restored –
as if pumped back into our souls
by the bedroom fan –
the warriors re-engage
in battle once again.

A battle in which
each warrior wins.