A New Chapter to Song of Solomon: A Poem

A New Chapter to Song of Solomon

My beloved lets me crawl into bed
and put my feet on him
since his skin is
warm and hot like a fire roaring from within
his soft flesh.

Warm like the baked front porch stoop
at the end of a day—as the sun goes down—
it retains its warmth through the early hours of night.

And then I place me icy feet near him, then closer,
then on his legs.
His body radiates the heat—like heat magic—
the closer I am to him the warmer I am.
My feet are frozen, even with socks on, with a down
comforter over me, with sleeping sweats on.

Is it possible that through the ages
this has been a common experience of
lovers and spouses and intimate friends?
Cold feet and warm bodies.
Bodies warming each other like blood-flow fires
One giving off body energy and
One pleasantly melting her icy chill
like snow being melted on a sun-drenched winter day.

It is an intimate experience. Not just anyone will
let you warm your feet by his fire
Especially if you endanger his fire being put out.
But it doesn't happen that way usually.

Slowly you both radiate heat. Slowly, yes, that's what happens.
It takes a bit of pain on the part of one
And a bit of humility and trust on the part of the other.
You should try it. Be vulnerable enough.
When your hands are cold, when your body's cold,
when your toes are cold, when your heart is cold.
There is someone else who's warm.