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Postcard
by Dania Rajendra
IT IS JUST as decadent as
You imagine, sitting
As you are, in a wintery mix.
I lounge on a white chaise under
Shadows of undulating coconut palm fronds.
Skimpy Speedos are back
In fashion. All the gay
Boy vacationers sport them,
Twisting their torsos in fitted
Tee shirts as they strut to the pool.
It is only a few sandy steps
To the choppy Caribbean. I see
The boys by me turn
Away from the vista of blue,
Examine GQ. Jeter’s on the cover.
His toothy grin bright
As the white caps behind us.
This daytime scene
A nightclub. It’s been so long
Since I’ve been out
Dancing with gay boys I forgot
That funny freedom of being skipped.
Above me the red flag whips,
Warns against
Swims in the salty waves.
Twice I take my brown body
Into the blues and greens. This day,
I dip and they recline but
Even though we’re away
From the grind and grit
It’s no respite, it remains
No different from all other days.
Dania Rajendra (http://daniarajendra.net) is a writer, editor, journalist and social justice strategist. She writes about race, class, food, cooking, and knitting.
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