The Physics of Tea
by Doug Tanoury
Sitting in the living room
Drinking tea with her and
Talking about special relativity
And the fact that the most distant
Galaxies are racing away from us
At 80% of the speed of light and
As she considers this
Pulling a wayward strand of hair
From her face, she begins to twirl it,
Worrying it between her fingers, and
I am touched by the girlishness
Of this gesture, as she says very seriously:
“Gravity is a fear of being alone”
I laugh
Setting my tea down on the table
Hearing the percussion click
Of a china cup meeting the saucer and
As she smiles the freckles on her cheeks
Gravitate together in Newtonian fashion
And I know now that
What holds everything together
Is simply deep attraction.


Tidings
by Gretchen Gantz
Could we put aside our political correctness and
objectify one another?
Could we defy politics, religion, to revel in our senses?
Could we stop speaking of social graces and touch tongue to tongue over the ruby wine reflection of your glass?
Could we toss aside the social niceties as we
toss aside our clothes?
Could we say how it is nice to meet as your whiskers and lips rub across my naked breasts?
Could we entwine fingers and wet moist places as we speak of the rain on the coast?
Could the questions of the state of affairs, employment, and the market be delved into with you lying inside of me?
Could we by a look, a touch, steal away from socializing and find the ways to make you moan out loud?
The tossed about words litter the highway
as the moments of opportunity
drive by like autos on the autobahn.