Loving the naked company of buddies

[aqp1958]

This poem I wrote expresses the deep love I feel for brothers and the raw joy of being naked together. That love.

buddy scrub*



there was something about the guys

at summer camp when I was fifteen

who treated me like a friend even ones

i didn’t know who smiled and talked

to me as we shucked down glad to shed

sticky grimy pungent layers of duds greasy

grassy juicy tees to dribbled in and skiddy

bvds crusty sock and briny jock dropping

and piling music of impromptu song mixing

with whistle and fart and guffaw as first blast

of ice bath or roiling geyser hit sopping us

for glorious lather and sud of ivory or dial

and squirt of pert or johnsons attaboy of scalp

and grinning untroubled by comparison

or sharing gurgling and spouting fountain

prank waggling peters losing piss chasing

funk and snot and blood and shit and spunk

to drain trap and beyond oh baptize me brothers

in heaven of steam and lofty citrus tang

of dime store cologne cuddle and scrub me

from heel to nape from wattle to taint and behind

my ruddy scruffy jug ears buff me till i squeak

fit me with harness brushed new feathers ready

to taunt the sun


* Gusher- Christopher Soden-2023