Temptation

Frühlingsgefühle - Spring Fever 59 x 59 cm

SEX EDUCATION

Miss Barolo—name rich

in tannins and sweet astringencies—

taught us sex education. Mr. Bertolini,

English Department, semi-twirling one half

of his handlebar mustache, large areas

of his paisley shirt damp with sweat, admired her

across the ping-pong table    

in the faculty lounge. He almost always let her win.

And she knew it. And she refused to be moved by his chivalry.

Our head librarian, meantime, Mr.

I don’t remember exactly, virginal, pear-shaped,  

did a convincing imitation

of A.E. Houseman’s thousand yard stare. Some people

went without sex and nobody seemed to notice.

There were other diversions. Collecting back issues, say,

of Architectural Digest, re-reading “A Shropshire Lad,” building monolithic

chess pieces. They kept their hands to themselves. Even Miss Barolo,

as ripe and ready to taste as any woman Mr. Bertolini had ever known,

a legend in sandals, in form-loving sun dresses, kept her distance. 

Diana Krall - Temptation