sex before poetry......

ok, so.....i survived my maiden venture into health education beyond the confines of nutrition, exercise, and disease prevention......and at some point during the lecture marveled at how easily the words urethra and labia and the like rolled off my lips......and while i did describe several of the graphic photographs of oozing and infected genitals with the overly maternal....you don't want to catch this....remember to use that condom...... i really think that i was able to do a professional and creditable lecture on a totally non-experiential topic....i knock on wood as i write these words, btw.......i must add that i must have exuded the maternal aura before and after classtime.....the 20ish girl who comes directly from her o'charley's job...always in black..... was in tears because her boyfriend of three years who dumped her after last weeks class has not yet returned......and this poor child sobbed and carried on and laid out the timetable of their relationship and the breakup......and she needed nothing more from me than to listen to her story...and hand her a tissue from my purse......and to nod understandingly......there was no need to tell her that she will likely be better off......because no man dumps a girlfriend unless he has already found her replacement.....nope....she didn't need the reality lesson.......and no sooner was the lecture over, when another woman of unidentifiable age...could be 20's...could be 30's.....even early 40's....came up to apologize that she missed last week.....and then went on to explain that it was because she had to admit her partner to a psych unit because she was depressed to the point of suicide......and all she needed from me was to listen to her story, and nod understandingly.......there was no need to tell her that she will likely try again until she succeeds.....nope, she didn't need the reality lesson.......and this is the point i want to make....that sometimes i surprise even myself on being able to do and say the right things from time to time...whether it is on advice given or with-held......or crucial protection/survival information presented...go figure.........and that brings us to the poetry part........i made it a point to finish early enough so that i could drive cross town to hear billy collins read his poetry at centre college.......as i flashed photos of yellowish goo dripping from the end of.....well- you get the picture....i was really thinking about how i would be happiest sitting down front rather than in the balcony......close enough to see his expressions well, and far enough away in case he is of the spitting ilk......and this fellow did not disappoint.....such wit, such a way of words.......a marvelous variety of short form, haiku and seriously long reflections....i did take the time prior to buy a few volumes to give as gifts, but abandoned the notion of getting them signed when the line became instantly impossible......and i will resist the temptation to scribble a pretend billy collins on the flyleaf with my right hand and a bold flourish, though he seems the sort that might find amusement in that deception.......