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poetry

hug? shake? kiss? double?

i see you coming down the street
knowing that our paths will meet
so the question how to greet you
rears its ugly head

my first instinct is to hug
and plant a big kiss on your mug
i’m a hugging litterbug
when greeting my close friends

but you and i are not that tight
though we’ve gotten on all right
we’ve been open and polite
both fond of our connection

she’s only introduced us twice
we had no trouble breaking ice
had no problem making nice
we’re pretty friendly guys

but you are straight and i am gay
which colors how we choose to say
hello in a non-verbal way
when meeting on the fly

if you were a gay sister-bro
a hearty hug i would bestow
instinctually and even though
we’re not of long acquaintance

now shaking hands seems apropos
probably the way to go
but sometimes that scenario
can throw me for a loop

i’ll thrust my hand out to some guy
he’ll look at me
eyes asking why
my arms aren’t open
“you’re too shy
to give a friend a hug?”

at least by mutual assent
we won’t kiss in this event
and you’re not from the continent
so double kisses won’t ensue
how many times i’ve kissed a cheek
then had the other turned to seek
another
oh so very chic
those europeans are

hug? shake? kiss? double?
greeting is a lot of trouble
in this modern hubble-bubble
when some worlds collide

we’re approaching
getting near
both are grinning ear-to-ear
neither showing any fear
we don’t know what to do

i’ll defer to your first move
follow in your greeting groove
no need for doubt or self-reprove
we’re only saying “hi”

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