Last Night by Sharon Olds

The next day, I am almost afraid.
Love? It was more like dragonflies
in the sun, 100 degrees at noon,
the ends of their abdomens stuck together, I
close my eyes when I remember. I hardly
knew myself, like something twisting and
twisting out of a chrysalis,
enormous, without language, all
head, all shut eyes, and the humming
like madness, the way they writhe away,
and do not leave, back, back,
away, back. Did I know you? No kiss,
no tenderness–more like killing, death-grip
holding to life, genitals
like violent hands clasped tight
barely moving, more like being closed
in a great jaw and eaten, and the screaming
I groan to remember it, and when we started
to die, then I refuse to remember,
the way a drunkard forgets. After,
you held my hands extremely hard as my
body moved in shudders like the ferry when its
axle is loosed past engagement, you kept me
sealed exactly against you, our hairlines
wet as the arc of a gateway after
a cloudburst, you secured me in your arms till I slept–
that was love, and we woke in the morning
clasped, fragrant, buoyant, that was
the morning after love.

So I decided to pick Last night by Sharon Olds for my poetry presentation. I was really happy with my choice. This is partially because in terms of content, it reminds me of of the John Donne and the other Metaphysical poets. Donne is an old favorite of mine and the disconnect between sex and love. granted in the metaphysical poets there tends to be much more of an element of chastity interfering with sex rather than lack of love but i enjoy the commentary on the relationship between the two. I also enjoy the message in itself, at least as i analyze it; that physical intimacy can lead to emotional intimacy.