Skinny-Dipping
Sixteen, never been sexed
Sipping pilsner pilfered from the basement fridge
Sssssh, out the back door
Stripping down to go skinny-dipping with… Johhhhhn
Time, place, the most potent of opportunities
We slip into steaming midnight summer water
His member more sumptuous than tight jeans ever hinted
My breasts afloat, begging to be bobbed for like juicy ripe apples
My ache, my throb – will he sense it,
and act on this rhythmically pulsing moonlit mystery
I always craved what was not mine for the taking
Swimming naked
with gay boys
© 2009 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For Margo Roby’s Wordgathering: Summer Tryouts and my little swimming pool, Poets United!
Today is the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement in New York City. Gay men had finally had enough of being beaten and sodomized by police; one man picked up a cobblestone in from of the Stonewall Bar and threw it, and calamity and justice began with that one brick. (I know some say that riots were technically in the wee hours of June 28, as the bars closed… but get real. Do you wake up from a hangover on a Sunday and say, “Wow, I really drank too much at 2 this morning?” It was very, very late the night before.)
So why this poem today? Because my very proud and OUT Best Friend Forever, John Bickle, with whom I share many skinny dips and much mischief in our early days, also celebrates his birthday today. He said, when he saw the TV reports of the Stonewall Riots, he thought to himself, “It’s an omen.”
No, Stonewall didn’t make him gay. God did.
But anyway, happy birthday to my BFF, and may you continue to play piano bar and wow Philadelphia for many years to come! (His usual gig is at Knock, so you Philly friends, get you butts over to their Piano Room and hear a phenomenal tenor – and great pianist!) Love, Amer
Sharp Little Pencil 
John
Thank you, sweetie!!
Sharp Little Pencil
Love you more than Tab!
Lance
I read freedom, more than nekkid.
Happy Birthday Stonewall. From a straight man – I love you all. we can do better.
Sharp Little Pencil
Amen, brother! It’s gonna take lots of support from allies to get marriage equality and civil rights once and for all… you rock. A
leesis
love it…cracked up laughing at the end!
Pearl Ketover Prilik
Wow ! One of your best and a wonderful tribute to John Bickle … ( great name for poeming btw) and a iconic tribute to Stonewall …. ” bobbing for apples” will never have the same meaning… Such a real and juicy poem – I feel like water is dripping from my hair ! Bravo !
drpkp
Whoops my comment disappeared ! Bravo Ames! 🙂
drpkp
Okay here goes again… One of your best and a terrific tribute to your friend John Bickle (great name for poeming btw) AND Stonewall! I will never think of bobbing apples in quite the same way! BRAVO :))))
Sharp Little Pencil
Pearl Girl, I have stopped the “comment moderation” thing. Sets everyone off. Thanks for your mention of the bobbing apples… yeah, I’ll probably never do that at any fall fests again, ha hah a
margo roby
This was fun, especially the twist at the end. May you celebrate many more of John’s birthdays.
Hannah Gosselin
VERY nice, Amy!! Reminds me of a certain “Zima,” at the pond rendition sixteen or seventeen sneaking out with a twenty-one year old!! Naughty indeed. Your poem captures your experience perfectly!
vivinfrance
You had a much more interesting youth than I did. Terrific poem.
J Cosmo Newbery
I love photos of nudes swimming – the breasts defy gravity and want to float – totally different contour.
Misky
I absolutely adore this poem, Amy. I think it’s one of my top 10 favs of yours. And hope that your friend had a wonderfully memorable birthday celebration.
Sharp Little Pencil
Misk, judging from the hangover he told me about the next day, I’d say he had plenty of fun!! And we talk and play scrabble on the Web all the time! I’m so glad you like this one – had put off posting for his BD.
Renee Espriu
Never had the opportunity. Too sheltered in many ways and missed lots of things. But so nice to be brought up to par. LOL
purplepeninportland
This is so cool, Amy. Tops in the birthday department.
Pamela Smyk Cleary
Love this, Amy! Been there, done that! (Skinny dipping and well… craving. 😉 Not the Pilsners though….) LOL And what Pearl said about the bobbing for apples. :-))
Sharp Little Pencil
Apples!!!!! LOL
Joseph Harker
Aside from the amusing verse and the heartening post-script… I used to live a couple blocks away from Knock, and have been a few times. Small world. 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
When you get back to Philly, let John know you’re my friend. If you are lucky enough to see him perform, you will be amazed. He’s truly brilliant as well as a great musician and singer!
Rosemary Nissen-Wade (@SnakyPoet)
Gorgeous poem! And great that he is still your BFF.
aufzuleiden
A fitting tribute to your friend and to the entire movement, Amy. You’ve managed to make us see your friend as both a “normal” character (and why shouldn’t we see him that way?) and as a metaphor for the unrequited love of a young women – the bittersweet relationship that blossoms into something more precious than could be known at the time. It is ironic that we often don’t recognize how some of our best relationships with the opposite sex are often that way because they don’t involve sex … but I digress (often).
The fact that John’s birthday is on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots is something that he can always hold as a symbol for what his life represents, though it would be wonderful if – someday – things came to the point where it didn’t matter what our “orientation” was and people didn’t judge anyone, unless it was based on the actual things they did, certainly not for who we happen to love.
Sharp Little Pencil
Peter, everything you said was perfection. It’s going to take a lot of allies to get real civil rights happening for everyone, and my aim with this blog (one of them) is to see justice prevail. I do believe we will see marriage equality in the US in our lifetimes. The WHOLE U.S. Unless we have a civil war about abortion and gay marriage, in which case, I’ll be in the trenches with just about everyone on this blog! No hatred allowed. I’ll be holding up peace signs, not firing back at the whackadoodles! Amy
Kelly O'Sullivan (HILWD)
Always love your posts and this one is not exception. I giggled at the poem and smiled at your friendship with John. We should all be so lucky to have friends who get us. Happy Birthday, John.
Irene
I just watched the film My week with Marilyn, and this much made me think of Marilyn skinny dipping with Colin Clark. The ending of your poem is kind of poignant.
Sharp Little Pencil
Ooooh thanks, Irene. John and I are both pleased to be compared to Marilyn and her friend, ha ha ha. Peace, Amy
Veronica Roth
Wish I could visit Knock. Lovely poem and happy birthday to John. Cancer people are so wonderful…don’t you think?
Sharp Little Pencil
I love all the signs, really. There are a few rotten apples in every horoscope barrel! So I take them as they come, right? A
Yousei Hime
Wonderful all the way through, poem and comments. Happy Birthday (belated) to your friend. I’ve never been skinny dipping (which surprises me a bit) but I’ve been most tempted to with this summer’s heat and the reading of your poem. 😉
Annette Mickelson
I love that twist at the end, so unexpected, so perfect.
Roger Green
been there, actually. – cryptic, I know