Forbidden Fruit

Is it thrill of domination,
the slip-slide roller coaster of
because-I-can
that makes important men
risk everything
for one forbidden shudder?

Do lizard brains delete
what’s known to whisper
their forever tales
into bristled ears?

Generals and kings,
esteemed professors,
topple like tenpins
when youthful buttocks
smile “hi.”

Do they think they’ll be
the one to get away with it,
or is the risk of getting caught the point  —
no buzz without a buzzkill in the basement
creeping up the stairs.

Paula Rudnick is a former television writer and producer who has worked the past 30 years as a volunteer for nonprofit organizations.