A woman takes a shower

the first one after

and oh god

if I could only exist

to hold their hands

seeing your body for the first

time, and not seeing your body

at all

I’m not catholic

nor am I overexplaining

how sitting on winter tile

tears fornicating

fucking the water around it

is a baptism

one worthy

one expressionlessly needed

yet

pampered

she stroked his hair to silk

pristine

got between his toes

& ass crack

before rinsing him off

for herself

she scrubbed raw

leftovers a no show

I’ve torn

some hairs out

but I’ve never died

in the bath