Walls

Walls

It was an urge other than desire
that undid our walls
walls that go up from the day
we are told take not candy
from strangers walls that we 
slip into every morning guarding
us from the gaze from the touch
of others who must remain separate
no matter how polite and warm the
talk our daily intermingling never
can reach the essence we protect
or else
or else we scorn the taboos
ubiquitous iniquities that grow like
wild hair follicle by follicle
as we mature into our private lives
yet I reached over and touched
your beard letting the rubicund glow
into my fingers  as our first  breach
of the palisade became a beating 
at the gate until we found ourselves 
so close it hurt 
our hurting so different yours and mine 
enduring we removed impediments 
stone by stone until we  had what we both
needed 
to be in each other's life
whether touching each other there
beyond and through the walls
or seeing as only we could
the connections invisible to others
Your shock of vermilion and mine of bone


Jack 5/19/13