What Is Beautiful

What is Beautiful?
 
I had never been held by a man
Only taken
Where I come from in Honduras
Men, they...
No, I will not tell that
 
I was New American
When I meet Heymes
Still I cannot say it 
Jay-Jay-James.
Is better?
 
He watch me clean
Listen to me sing
The old songs in Español
I miss my home
But I like him listen to me.
And he smile
 
I like him smile
 
"Thank you, Mariana," Heymes say when I done
"You have the beautiful voice"
I no understand
Think he not like the room
"What is bee-yoo-tee-ful?"
He no answer, just smile
Say gracias,
So I … what is una reverencia?
Yes, I curtsey
"Thank you, sir"
 
I ask my friend
"What is 'bee-you-tee-ful'?"
She tell me, and I think Heymes…
James
He no like the other men
The men I know
They no have the bee-you-tee-ful smile
 
I clean for him next day
I sing for him
He watch me work
And I watch him too
I watch him for the smile
 
"Muchas gracias, Mariana," he tell me again
"Thank you for the beautiful song"
And he smile.
I feel caliente ... hot
And my mind...
I can think nothing
 
"What is beautiful?" I say
Even I know already what is beautiful
I try to swallow, but I cannot
"You are," say James
"Muchas gracias, Mariana
Will I see you tomorrow? Mañana?"
"Si, señor. Tomorrow"
 
Tomorrow I wear the lipstick
For special, my only one.
I clean for James, but he is gone
I sing anyway, because it is what I like
But James, he is there
He come from the bathroom
And he wear just the towel
I look at his body, and I cannot sing
 
I cannot breathe 
 
"Buenos dias, Mariana."
It make me so hot to see him
Mucho caliente
And I say the first thing
 
"What is beautiful?"
 
James, he smile
"A song," he say to me
"A song can be beautiful
Like the one who sings."
"Yes"
I look at his chest again
He look strong
But not like the men I know
He come to me and he stand close
I smell his soap
 
"A touch?" he ask me, very soft
And he put his hand here, on my cheek
"Can a touch be beautiful?"
I put my hand on his
"Si"
I think no touch could make me feel so...
Feel so like a woman
Like never before
 
"And a kiss"
His lips
They are close
And he only whisper.
"Is a kiss beautiful, Mariana?"
I no answer with my voice
I turn my lips to him
And he knows
 
I had never been held by a man
Only taken
James, he held me
His fingers
They find the buttons on my uniform
And his touch, his kiss
We were beautiful.
Together we sang.

*****

Author's note: This piece would not have been possible without Literotica artist NextDoorSecret, whose art was the inspiration for What Is Beautiful. Also, I wrote this as a short story, but the recasting as a poem was the work of a wonderful poet in the Lit poetry forum, Lyricalli, with some inspired copy editing by Trixareforkids.

Thank you to all of those wonderfully creative people.

If you enjoyed What Is Beautiful, please leave a comment below.

Belinda LaPage
Sydney, Australia (2016)