Hot stuff 

Poem: Hot stuff 

In this long hot summer,

Is it hot in here or is it me?

Quite possibly I may be having a hot flush

But you make me blush

I’m in no rush to move away

Here I will stay and get into your groove

Will you be the one to blink first

and make the next move?

Review: Hot stuff

The poet has clearly experienced a summer of some kind; a long and hot one at that. But here in the U.K in 2025? I don’t think so.  I personally cannot relate to it as I was here, and summer took its time to arrive (as is usually the case with so much rain activity taking place) What was offered by the season were a few distinct heatwave blips. A blip is hardly anything to get excited about now, is it?

I then see that the poet is questioning the heat. It could be down to summer weather or internal body heat that the poet is experiencing. Oh dear, I think a door to the poet’s intimate life has been swung right open here and it has come off its hinges! What am I about to find out? It’s not long into the poem and what is revealed is that the poet is a woman and a borderline menopausal one at that. Shock, horror? Or, hey, it’s what happens, ‘Get over it’ and ‘Get on with it, as ‘that poet’ says (so I’ve heard) Well, I certainly don’t know or know of any men who experience ‘hot flushes’ Mind you, I’ve never asked a man and… I’m not likely too either. I don’t think I ever will. Would you dear reader? It’s not something that can be easily dropped into a conversation, is it? “How are you bruv/mate/buddy/bro?” How’s the wife? How’s the kids? Hmm. For a bit of ‘balance’ I did ask Dr ‘Google’ to see what I could find: Do men get hot flushes? I asked, and yes, but that’s down to good old fashioned heartburn, alcohol, consuming hot drinks (and sometimes hormonal changes too) See a proper doctor, says Dr Google if any of that proves to be evident and bothersome. How kind of you Dr Google. Dear reader Is that enough of a balance for you? I’ll thank you in advance, (and all that). Again, as ‘that poet’ says.

Back to the poem. Nearly halfway into the poem, it’s revealed that a person is the reason that the poet blushes. Is the poet shy? Excited? Stimulated in some way by the presence of this other person? Could a friendship be formed or is romance on the horizon?

Hasn’t the poet already made ‘a move’ by deciding to stay put? (ok, staying put isn’t exactly moving about but it affords time for the poet to get closer and observe more.

If it isn’t romance, then the poet must have noticed an outstanding and impressive quality about this other person and is attracted to them because of it. What is it I wonder? What do they or did they do? Something that stimulates the poet’s senses? A ‘sound’ or a taste of some sort I’m guessing here. Did they sing, bake a cake or both? Now that would get my attention! If it is more than just how they look, they’ve scrubbed up well and have polished their shoes then it must be something special that has triggered interest from the poet.

Ooh, it’s heating up for me, as a reader. The poet is not in a hurry to be out of this other person’s orbit. ‘Getting into a groove’ says to me that the poet desires to be in a comfortable rhythm and fully engaged with this other person. They feel safe and want to connect! If the poet would like this to happen they need to do more than just hang around and flutter their eyelashes. But I have a feeling that the poet thinks and feels more deeply than just solely skimming the surface of an aesthetic quality of something.  Artists, by nature delve deeper and this poet needs to speak! That shouldn’t be difficult if the poet is a spoken word artist? (that’s another story for another time) Would they exchange telephone numbers? Share social media details? Carrier pigeon messages? (but that’s too much of a faff now isn’t it? All of those feathers flapping about!) Keep it simple dear poet and just talk,

But a sense of excitement is beginning to bubble here.

A union of some kind has the potential to be formed.

It’s not going to happen overnight though is it. (Early days eh? Early days…)  They need to have one or two things in common before they get going. That’s the exciting bit; the discovering. The learning of similarities and the contrasts. From reading this poem I’m left wanting to know more. I would like it if there was another poem to know what’s going to happen next. Until that day comes, my imagination is going to take over here. Is that how the poet has left things for the reader to draw their own conclusion?

Well, this is what I think dear poet. I think the person could be a perfumer and is wearing a very enticing scent. They make bread and bake cakes? A musician or a performer of some kind? Maybe a magician?

Or all the above? This is what happens when my imagination takes over and I’m desiring more poems to read.

I’ve enjoyed the rhyming of words, flush, blush and rush. Plus, the rhyming words, groove and move, So much is being said within this short poem. I’m getting a clear sense of the poet on a personal level and of their feelings.

Magician present or not, I do think dear poet, that you should do some of the blinking and make the next move by starting a conversation. From my experience that’s where the magic happens. Conversation is the ultimate social lubrication.