"A Mandolin and Sicilian Skin" a poem by Jess Coffman

A Mandolin and Sicilian Skin

I got swept up in the romance,
In the tremolo of the Mandolin,
In the fragrance of spices and You.
My hands caressed you impulsively,
Cause it seemed like the Natural thing to do.

But now I've crossed that Line,
And Exposed my debility
For olive skin, rich food and sex.
But you chose to ignore,
And I felt like a whore...

Our friendship is now more complex.

JESS COFFMAN

I looked at many images relating to mandolins and olive oil, but none of them quite encompassed the emotionally raw visual I was going for. I quickly thought of this album cover that I took note of a few weeks ago. One of my very favorite things that Billy and I do, is listen to our Pearl Django inspired jazz station on Pandora, and cook together. Seth Ford Young's sensual, toasty and joyful instrumental album was constantly popping up. I must confess that I gave it many thumbs up before actually taking his name down to purchase the album. But I am so please that I did, his music is brilliant, and I absolutely love this album cover. 

Though I was technically the aggressor within the poem, I feel like this image perfectly captures the sensual, musical and candid themes within it. To me, it also captures the shameful aspect of it to.  Neither of the people in the photograph are looking at the camera, they cannot admit to the audience that they are sharing this particular moment together. 

This poem was written about 8 years ago, so it is very much a story of my careless past. But I must admit, that I am very thankful that the man in this poem ignored my advances that night. He knew that our connection was to make music together, and he is responsible for some of my most beloved creative dreams coming true. Sometimes you take a chance, in what ends up being the wrong direction. And sometimes, someone who truly cares about you will forgive, forget, and help restore your dignity. Thank-you for that.

Peace, Love and Spumoni,

Jess