The Lovers

THE LOVERS

They had known of each other
for a long time.
But the time had never been right
for them to get close.
Never a moment to get past
the awkward first exchange
that would, hopefully, lead to an intimacy
they both desired.
Over the years of seeing each other
in the usual hangouts,
they had come to feel an unmistakable energy
in the presence of the other.
He made the first move,
which males often do,
and she was surprised
how tender was his touch.
She couldn’t tell where he had touched her,
yet her skin felt electrified.
She had never felt so alive
and her entire body pulsated with desire.
He remained close and continued touching her
ever so gently.
She snuggled closer,
encouraging his attentions
and they both felt like soul mates.
There was such a spiritual intensity
that both of them broke out in song.
There were no words for their joy
so the duet of integrated notes filled the space.
And soon others in the group joined in,
filled with the love being generated
by the young lovers.
It turned out to be a fantastic impromptu choral recital.
With so many years of anticipation,
there was an understandable urgency in their actions,
but both of them felt it was the right thing to do.
And so, their behavior was unrestrained.
Surrounded by this apparent ocean of passion,
she felt wet and ready for his ultimate advances.
Though there was no place for concealment,
they felt safe, and the others respected their privacy
much like Native Americans, Eskimos,
the Japanese and other races.

The act was incredible
and bonded them together forever.
They remained skin to skin
for a long time,
during and afterward.
Neither of them wanted to stop
feeling the other’s body.

The hunter knew none of this.
He wanted only to get the job done
and head home.
There was urgency in his actions, too.
After all, there were those who thought it criminal
to do what was so natural, and profitable, for him.
Quite often now he had to practice his trade
in a hit and run fashion.
He knew his highly refined weapon
would be very effective in the right situation.
He needed only two more “specimens”
to make this “research” trip a success.
His equipment was state-of-the-art
and he had been tracking this group for days.
Finally, the group had settled down
and he waited for an opportune moment.
He noticed one pair was staying together
for a long time.
The launcher exploded
and spewed forth a thinner but extra long harpoon
that penetrated the pair of whales
which were so close
they looked almost like one blip on the screen.
The pointed shaft pierced the lover’s heads
making any cries
or last minute voluntary actions impossible.
Their bodies shuddered
and the sea became red.
The crew worked non-stop for 3 days
on their “research”.
Afterwards, there was no trace
of the deceased leviathans
except for bits of flesh on the water
being fought over by seabirds and fish.
At last, the crew headed home.

© ’96, 2006 Karl Arthur King