BRAND NEW SKINS

by Paul Muldoon

I WAS PINNED ON THE HARD SHOULDER
MY HEART WEIGHED DOWN BY A BOULDER
THAT EASTER SUNDAY AFTERNOON
MADDIE PULLED UP LIKE A GODDESS
IT LOOKED FROM HER LOW – CUT BODICE
HER TAN WAS NOT WITHOUT ITS UNDERTONES
THE LITTLE GRAVEL – SPURT
WHERE SHE KICKED UP SOME DIRT
WHEN WE TOOK OFF ABRUPTLY FOR A SPIN
BRAND NEW SKINS HER ’69 MONTEGO WEARING THIN
HER ’69 MONTEGO’S BRAND NEW SKINS

IN HER HOUSE THE EASTER REVELS
FUNCTIONED ON SO MANY LEVELS
AS WE SNUCK UP TO HER BEDROOM
PAST A CHOCOLATE LABRADOR
DOING SOMETHING PRETTY HARDCORE
TWO IGUANAS IN A TERRARIUM

MADDIE WOULD APPOINT
HERSELF TO ROLL A JOINT
FROM AN BALKAN SOBRANIE CIGARETTE TIN
BRAND NEW SKINS HER HAND – ME – DOWN TOBACCO WEARING THIN
HER HAND – ME – DOWN TOBACCO’S BRAND NEW SKINS

WE SUCKED SOME FACE
AND SHELTERED EACH OTHER
FROM THE TERRIBLE DIN
OF HER DAD ON VINTAGE BASS
AND HER KID BROTHER
PLAYING BRAND NEW SKINS

MY HEART WAS NOW QUITE UNLADEN
MADDIE WAS THE KIND OF MAIDEN
WHOSE SENSE OF SIN WAS A SINE QUA NON
IT SEEMED ALMOST SHE WAS PURGING
HERSELF BEFORE RE – EMERGING
THAT EASTER SUNDAY AFTERNOON
NOW HER CHOCOLATE LAB
FROTTED ITS WASHBOARD ABS
I USED THE TERM SHIT – EATING OF ITS GRIN
BRAND NEW SKINS HER RAGGED – ASSED IGUANAS WEARING THIN
HER RAGGED – ASSED IGUANAS’ BRAND NEW SKINS