“kiss. I’ve got more hunger than my body can hold.
Bloated with want, I’m the man who waits”
-Jones (16)
In Last Call Jones highlights his longing and burning desire to be intimate, which serves as a contrast to the dark imagery within the poem; this seems representative of his simultaneous need to conceal himself from the judgmental eyes of society, where the night is the only time he can freely indulge in this intimacy. In this particular stanza, Jones begins by including the word “kiss” followed by a period, where the intentional use of the period provides more emphasis to the word “kiss”, which coincides with Jones’ yearning for physical intimacy. The usage of the word “hunger” soon after can be used to further characterize Jones’ desire. Hunger has this animalistic and raw connotation, and usually is utilized in connection to food, so in this context, the word reinforces Jones’ passion and wish to give in to this temptation. In the next line, “Bloated with want” provides a strong sense of imagery and may allude to the physical representation of Jones’ desire through an erection. Furthermore, Jones’ bloated body demonstrates a physical response and manifestation of his thoughts. The first line and first half of the second line emphasize Jones’ need to succumb to this physical encounter; however, this idea is sharply contrasted with Jones’ description of himself as a “man who waits” where his experienced desire is juxtaposed against the act of waiting. The personification of “moon to drown” in the following stanza in the poem evokes an image of the moon being enveloped by the darkness of the night. This imagery speaks to Jones’ need to hide his acts of intimacy from society which serve as a physical representation of his status as a gay man, which is not something he is unfortunately permitted to freely and openly share with the world.
I really like how you analyze the darkness and the moon. This reminds me of what we have read from Jones’ essay that he was scared to be himself in the environment he lived in. That he felt that he can be hurt or even killed by just being himself. This kind of “dark” environment makes him want to be loved so much but dares to do nothing but hide and wait.