touché by Dennis Cooley

          touché

she touched him some

where on the shoulder

she put him to the touch

& even though he feared

she wld think of him as an easy touch

wondered if she herself would

be a touch off might sooner

or later touch a nerve

he was touched by what she did

& said & felt even

though he had

almost lost touch with

reality his sense

                                  of touch he swore

he never touched the stuff   /never

but she had the touch all right even when she was

getting touchy he felt she cld teach him a thing

or two she had the royal touch

it was the right touch he felt he had never

felt this way before how cld he know how

she was feeling he was rather grouchy & she cld always

put her finger on it it was a touching moment

it was enuff & wld suffice

it brought a touch of blood

to his cheeks she touched him off

though once she had said

this was when first

someone had put them in touch

she would never touch him

with a ten-foot pole

close enough he had said

had he touched a sore spot

it was then he touched home

         base it has a bearing

this touches on big issues he thot

she could touch up the worst moments

talk about quality nothing but

nothing touched her for firmness

she touched hm up for a while

as a matter of fact she touched him

up for quite a bit he felt well

           touched by her some

how he felt she had a soft spot

for him she thot she could touch up his man

ners she came right out & said she up & said she felt

             he had it coming

& all the time he was thinking

she was a bit touched she was pretty

touchy & he was out

of touch with things

in way over his head

swore he never touched it

how much he would like to touch

her there it was

a touching moment

he had a touch of fever

found himself wishing

for a touch more

he liked her touch    so much    he him

            self was getting a bit

touchy especially when she applied

the finishing touches he favoured

she could see he really was touched

i guess we all were

                           a little

touched in those days

she had a touch for those things

he carried a torch for her

touch in truth he grew

attached to her

touch it was touch

& go then he was

hoping they would keep

in touch hoping no matter

what they would keep

in touch s/he would never lose

                            the touch

he was truly touched

dennis cooley grew up in Saskatchewan, studied at the University of Saskatchewan and then at the University of Rochester in New York state. His publications include Fielding, Bloody Jack, this only home, seeing red, and country music. A new title, abecedarium, is forthcoming from the University of Alberta Press.