Bare Naked

In the love of narrow souls I make many short voyages but in vain-I find no sea room-but in great souls I sail before the wind without a watch, and never reach the shore. - Thoreau

Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl, The Souls of Acheron (1898)

the sign said "nudist colony"

so i checked in and ventured out

with my exposed pole

and jelly rolls

much to my surprise and chagrin

there was no exposed skin

only a judicious, juxtaposed juggernaut of family jewels

the hidden garb of a bunch of bodacious, fickle fools

there were hearts and spirits with lofty goals

hands and feet with gaping holes

turns out

it was for baring souls

Author's Note

"As the skies appear to a man, so is his mind. Some see only clouds there; some, prodigies and portents; some rarely look up at all; their heads, like the brutes,' are directed toward Earth. Some behold there serenity, purity, beauty ineffable. The world runs to see the panorama, when there is a panorama in the sky which few go to see." - Thoreau

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Your poem seems to be a spoof on those who want a different kind of "reveal" than what's currently being served up. While your "nudist colony" idea is a clever one, your commentary harkens to me about how some are prowling the ether (chat rooms or whatever) looking for different versions of nudity. It's a rare & treasured occasion to find someone who enjoys baring the perfect amount that the other person feels comfortable with. Subtlety is often lost on those who prefer to expose their pole blatantly *heh! heh! heh!* Fondly, Margie

[Pete]

either way we're showing what we're really made of, huh? i like your thoughts on this, it seems we're all looking for a way to bare ourselves and tell the world, "this is who i really am and what i think, take it or leave it." we live in a society that is constantly bombarding us with how we should think, act, eat and of course wear (figuratively as well as literally) ... :)

by the by, you're new avatar is scaring the bahoopities out of me ... :)

[barleygirl]

I have another avatar staged for the final Halloween week coming up. I think I'll post it now. It's more peaceful than this frightful old mug I've got now!

[Pete]

lol. they canceled all the halloween festivities in the neighboring city of salem here ... :)

[barleygirl]

So many cultural changes due to covid are hard to fathom! I have a dreadful feeling lots of things will never come back to the way they were.

[Pete]

ugh, don't remind me. so sad ... :)