Sometimes only a loincloth

covers the lower part

of his body but no one is

telling him that nakedness

is a sin, or a lie, no one is lying

to him, or lying beside him

in the dark, removing the loin-

cloth or fig leaf from the lower

half. There are dogs

barking outside the sandwich

bar, and a parrot is on display in

the lobby of the Marriott, locked

in a cage for everyone to see.

If I could see in the dark

I would tell you the difference

between the animal and the vegetable,

the nameless and the virginal, those

who rove the streets and estuaries,

their limbs exposed to the elements,

and those who stay at home behind

gated windows and tinted glass.