Revised June 8, 2015

Each man’s body,

brought with care

into intimate conjunction

with your own,

manifests distinctive humors.

Each physique sends out

unique transmissions

identifying him

as surely as the tender swirls

at his fingertips.

That one is shy,

this one angry,

that one grateful,

this one lonely.

If you press him naked very close

you may feel his mind

through his body’s skin.

As your body and his commingle,

if you listen closely,

you can hear his soul’s still voice,

and he yours.

Thus atheists may experience communion,

materialists the transcendental,

our awkward, speechless mouths

may talk together wordlessly

in the night.

------------------------------------------------

"Each Man's Body," poem by Katz, published in Catalyst: A Socialist Journal of the Social Services, "Special Issue: Lesbian and Gay Issues in the Social Services", No. 12 1981, page 46.