At this point in the poem I am confused as to whether or not her tone is positive or negative. Could the poem be depicting a lovely act or one of pure disgust?.
Next, Olds returns us to her original feelings of loveless sex by referring to the coolness of the ice and the detachment of the professional ice skaters as they maneuver gently almost without seeming to touch the surface. The image of, "fingers hooked inside each other's bodies," conveys that separated feeling once again. Likewise, there is no implication of gentle emotions or touch as she continues to describe the characters. She uses metaphorical language to describe the overheated lovers, "faces red as steaks," and "wet as the children at birth" associates this lustful act as one of raw desire. I mean comparing a lover's face to that of a slab of cold, raw beef leaves us with the feeling that these people are indeed using each other as "pieces of meat." This is quite interesting due to the fact that many "pick-up" places are referred to as meat markets. .
In addition, the reference to mothers giving their children away at birth proceeds to express the author's attitude that these two people are being irresponsible and aren't considering what will happen as a result of their actions. I had to reread line eight of the poem a few times, for the spacing and repetition of words caused a halt in my reading. The author's use of the pun "come to the" furthers the plot and arouses an emotional response from the reader. Addressing the subject of engaging in intercourse without loving their partner, Old seems to stimulate an actual orgasm as a point of climax, "How do they come to the come to the come to the God come to the still waters, and not love the one who came there with them." The poet's uses of words such as, "wet," "come," "still waters," and "came" adds to the thought of this being the high point in the act. She uses sexual imagery to address her subject as well as to spur and maintain the reader's interest.
