The Maynard
Spring 2018

At the Aquarium

he tells me
the jellyfish on the other side of the glass
has a mouth
and he wants to try putting things in it. I squint
in the dim light of the aquarium, try to see
this amazing primordial mouth for myself
nestled somewhere in the glowing mass of tentacles
see only billowing, paper-thin waves of undulating flesh
but say anyway, yeah, I think that’d be cool
you should totally go for it.

he tells me
that if you’re gentle with a jellyfish
they won’t even try to sting you
until it’s too late, leans up against the glass
rubs himself through his jeans
with his hands, breathes heavy as though
he’s already in there with that frail balloon of flesh
moving seductively through the water
with terrible intent.