First in a Series

Are there secrets in your body?
Do I feel them in your caramel arms,
the soft ropes of your middle, under stones
in the pool of your eyes,
and in little carvings in the cartilage
of your little girl knees?

I want to know them,
more than following X's
on treasure maps in treehouses
I drew with other boys,
more than putting my foot down
in the thin air of Everest
or a Mayan ruin snapped in photos
in my adventure books.

I'll be your boyfriend,
I'll fight for your honor,
help you find the will in the dusty box
behind a brick in the fireplace.

Later, you'll say no
when I ask to look in your diary.
I  will understand, hold you tight,
trace your goosebumps with my finger,
and give you something new to write.