tattoo

she has a tattoo

of a wind up key

on the small of her back,

just above the elastic

of her panties.

so she never wears

a deep backless gown

to the symphony.

or a bikini anywhere

but in the privacy

of her own backyard

infinity edgeless pool.

where the arborist,

there to assess and tend

her maples, his eyes fixed

on the pictured key

is now curious to see

what would happen

if he were to give it

an experimental twist.

the message in his eyes,

his saucy question,

she reads with no need

for translation and answers

with one raised eyebrow

and a touch of tongue tip

to her lips.

she slowly turns her back

to him and waits, with a

slight twitch of her hips

until he places his hand

on the tattoo and looses

the strings of her bikini.

it flutters down and

catches on her ankle.

she nabs it with her

nimble toes and flicks it

onto a budding daffodil,

then presses her naked ass,

still cool from the pool,

against the warmth of

his maple scented hand.