Embrace
We used to
embrace
As if to
say I know you
As if to
say I trust you
And you
may trust me
We used to
shake hands
(bare
naked hand to hand)
We used to
pump fists and slap shoulders
We used to
let our bodies come together
To feel
each other’s warmth
We used to
stand in lines so close
We could
feel the breath
On the
back of our heads
We used to
let our shoulders touch
As we
found our way through a crowd
We used to
dance hand in hand
Cheek to
cheek with almost strangers
I remember
human contact
As if it
were yesterday
As if we
awoke only this morning
To find
that we are magnets
Charged to
repel each other
We have
only our memories
Of a time
when we embraced
Without a
second thought
Of a time
we held each other’s hands
To push
away our worries
Will we
ever find that place again
The touch
of human skin
Without
fear
