.70

She knelt on the other side
of the canvas tarp —advertising
a budweiser sponsored
volleyball competition
down on the beach—
and was sucking on a bamboo reed
with the flat of her slightly
exposed pink tongue,
in preparation for playing
her wooden ebony clarinet.

"nice embouchure"
I smirked,
while forcing
myself to finish
a mint ice tea, I ordered specifically
for the caffeine…
"Thankth! Cahn I buy you anuthza?"
she lisped, reed still in place,
"I haven't even finished with this,
and I might not finish it at all—
I don't really like mint"
She removed the reed and
offered to blow me.
Nice embouchure, indeed.