May 6, 2008

What the Massage Therapist Knows


Just a slight departure. I came across this poem on another Massage Therapist's blog and felt compelled to share. She must have a direct Psychic Network hotline to my mind because this is the embodiment of my ongoing experience as an LMT.


jasmine added to oil will disguise the smell of stinky feet
but it has changed the way she feels about jasmine.


mascara stains the cradle covers
not even bleach and borax take it out
next time she'll order navy blue

breasts don't stay perky after forty
they droop and slide to the side, except
store bought ones

you'll apologize for not shaving your legs
no need
you should see hers


standing on the edge of the futon
helps her gain leverage, the weight of her body
against yours

men tell jokes to break the silence
as opposed to women,
who tell secrets

they love it when she reaches under the sheet
all the way down the spine, and lifts
she knows that
sometimes she'll do it twice
just to hear them sigh, even though it exacerbates
her tendonitis

you put on heavy perfume to cover the fact
you didn't take a shower
the perfume is worse

you like looking at her bare feet through the face cradle
something about it makes you relax
feel safe

there are times you'd rather not listen
to new age music, sometimes
you just need quiet

when she leans into your sacrum it almost feels
like you grow two inches
doesn't it

flannel sheets are better
warm and cozy
like her room
her hug

you'll know right away if she's good or not
seventeen seconds, they say
that's all it takes

you talk a lot, laugh loudly, tell jokes
hoping she won't notice
that pesky erection
(*Thank GOD this is the only one I haven't experienced!!!*)

you hold your legs tightly together
she almost has to pry them apart to massage your thighs
it has nothing to do with modesty
you may have forgotten the past but
your body hasn't

she wishes she had a big spatula
so she didn't have to wake you up
to turn over

when she rubs your crooked old feet sometimes she cries, thinking of all those miles
behind you

the pregnant ones are hardest to work on
but then the baby talks to her
through her hands
god

you want her to press harder, there
under the scapula, so tight
like a frozen wing


your nose may stuff up from lying face down
or from of the sadness you feel
untouched for so long


it's best to rub toes from pinky to biggest or that song gets in her head,
we we we
all the way home

you're wondering if she heard you fart
no, but she smelled it

there is a difference between hurts
and hurts good
a big one

she rests her hands on your head, shoulders, hips, feet
to make you feel like one piece
connected again

you wish you didn't have to get up
could just sleep there a while, not knowing
she would've let you

you left that extra twenty on purpose
knowing the kid's tuition is due next week
thank you

there are days when she can't wait for you
to arrive so she can touch someone
anyone

6 comments:

Tammy said...

That was so nice to read. I need a massage so badly today. I had one about 6 years ago and it was the best thing I've ever done for myself. I told Monty not more than an hour ago that I need to go to the chiropractor to get adjusted and then go get a massage. I wonder if I should do them in reverse order. Or one and skip the other...... See, I'm always so confused that I end up doing none of the above.

Wish I lived in Alaska or you lived in Idaho. ;)

dawn klinge said...

That was fun to read. Last summer I used to get a massage every Saturday...I miss that. There's no time during the school year (probably when I need it the most), but I'm looking forward to going again this summer.

World Wide Alternative said...

*sigh*...Xxx

The Tundra PA said...

What a wonderful poem, thank you so much for sharing it. And so true, from both sides of the massage table. I am both a regular consumer of massage therapy and a former LMT for 5 years when I lived in California before becoming a PA. 17 seconds is exactly right, that's all it takes to know if she is good. And I love finding MTs who are; I've gotten up from the table before after five minutes and said "you know, we're just not right for each other, but thanks" and left (after paying for the full hour; it's not about the money). I'd rather not be touched than have a therapist who is tentative or gives me the feeling she doesn't know what she's about.

So many memories came flooding back while reading this. thanks...

Anonymous said...

Oh just makes me want a massage, i
got a great pregnancy one done
last time that i so hope to afford this time around again. So helps with all those pregnancy aches

RunninL8 said...

I was pregnant all through massage school so it was just BLISS receiving a massage 3 times a week in class! And although i had to reciprocate that massage 3 xs a week, that in itself was wonderfully calming for me.