Blank verse in iambic heptameter
80 doesn't even burn, but I'm drinking 94,
feeling its sting against my throat before the smooth warmth spreads;
soothing, relaxing; though nothing like the pounding, scalding
water on my shoulders, back and buttocks just earlier.
Sitting in my yeti hide fleece pajamas afterwards,
I thought to describe the sensation of that hot shower
on this crisp Jerusalem autumn-winter night and how
I gradually kept on raising the temperature.
Far more than anything else, however, I mostly felt
that any exertion, be it physical or mental,
would ruin my glorious glow; that feeling of the cool
floor tiles on the soles of my warm, bare feet - a reminder.
Standing naked in the night, as I hung up my towel,
my red skin impervious to the chill balcony air,
I relished the memory of steam and hot rivulets;
muscles loose before pouring fine Kentucky straight bourbon.
Let’s write poetry together!
When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
The Skeptic's Kaddish 🇮🇱 
A hot bath or shower does inspire such lovely thought and writing. I like how everything and nothing is a subject for your writing. No limitations or boundaries. That’s the sign of a fine writer. Wonderful! 🙂
❤️🤍 Terveen 🤍❤️
I can relate. We (Sparky and I) were just discussing bourbon. And strangely the day before we were talking about hot showers (and how the hotel didn’t have sufficient hot water)…
💝 Muri 💝
I’ve solved many a problem in a hot shower…no alcohol required. (K)
so true. I took another one today, but I didn’t heat the water for long enough so it wasn’t scalding 😦
Blue grass booze
Chasing bare ass bath
Toddy hot
🙈 I must confess to never having had a toddy!
Hot water
Spiced lemon juice
Your penance 😉
Jerusalem or Kentucky? Now that I’ve read your poem, it really has become a difficult choice to make!! 😋😉
hint: you can buy Kentucky bourbon in Jerusalem.
Well, that doesn’t make a difference as I don’t drink! 😁
I won’t hold that against you!
Yessss but the other things….. they really make me wonder at which choice I should make 😋
well, if you’re in India – a plane ticket to Israel is cheaper. 😉
Now we’re talking! 😀
And you might want to check a ‘lil pingback awaiting your attention! 😉
I like this one! You feel the difference in temperatures
thanks 🙂
I really was torn – I wanted to write about how wonderful I felt after the shower, but I didn’t want to move or even think because that would have ruined my shower-high!
❤
David
Yes. Kentucky.
💕 Danial 💕
Love your descriptions of the winter days in Jerusalem, the juxtaposition of scalding water and freezing tiles..They remind me of this time in Jordan..the cold winds rattling the big glass windows..the steamed up bathrooms from a hot shower…❤️
I’m sure the weather here and in Jordan is pretty much identical 💞