Shaving in the Dark

I was shaving in the dark

Hoping not to leave a mark

When I heard a voice outside of me

Say, “hark!”

I first thought “odd remark!”

As naked I lay, stark

Inside my bathtub,

Shaving in the dark

“On a task you must embark”

Continued the voice which first said, “Hark”

“We need you to go right now

To Central Park”

I then thought, “what a lark!”

& felt my curiosity spark –

I decided then and there

To go ahead and hark

I wasn’t sure what harking was,

But I was game to try,

And doing what any good harkee does,

I tossed my razor by,

Got quickly, slippery, out of the tub

And grabbed my towel to dry

But the harking voice said,

“Wait a minute,

We do not want you dressed;

We want your body

And all your senses

By spring-eve winds caressed;

You must go down

To Central Park

(no one’s there, it is quite dark)

And stand before us naked,

Unobsessed

And know that you

Are truly, ever blessed”

“Okay,” said I,

“I’ll try.”

***

Stepping lightly through the dark,

I headed off to Central Park

& quickly reached my given destination

(On the way I passed a shark

swear to God, I heard it bark –

or was that noise my own imagination?)

***

Now here I stand,

A naked man

& wonder what I’m doing

I obeyed a demand—

No, make that command,

& now that action I am ruing

For to tell the truth,

I feel quite uncouth

Standing naked for the viewing

Of one & all,

Both short & tall

(Dear Lord I hope I’m snoozing)

Then this would be

A fantasy,

From which I’ll wake refreshed

to find

It all within my mind

‘cuz I’d gone to sleep undressed!