Manly Men
There, he looked again,
right at me.
At my crotch, for God’s sake.
He’s at the table across from the bar
near the bathrooms.
Maybe he thinks I’m
“that way.”
Maybe the little queer
thinks he’ll score.
Who can blame him? I’m a stud.
I work out twice a week.
But God, he must
think I’m some kind of
perv.
Here he comes,
right over to the bar,
brazen little nancy boy.
I could buy him a few
drinks, get him out back
and beat the shi-
“Mister?” the young man says
softly.
“Your fly is open.”
He walks to the door,
greets some guy
They hug and grab a drink.
Maybe I should work out more.
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Kerry at Imaginary Garden With Real Toads requested we write poems from the first person point of view using a narrator whose unreliability becomes clear to the reader through the course of the narrative. Also, ABC Wednesday is up to M, and, as always, it’s up at my favorite LGBTQ-friendly cafe, Poets United.
Remember, never judge the book without reading it first. Or something like that. I’m so sick of homophobes, and this is an example of well-deserved ego deflation (and shrinkage!). Peace, Amy
Oct 12, 2012 @ 00:17:18
Loved it!!
That ‘love one another as I have loved you’ part is really hard for most to carry through with in daily life, isn’t it?
Oct 12, 2012 @ 00:47:58
Wow, Amy, you have gone for the jugular here! A clever use of the unreliable narrator.
Oct 12, 2012 @ 04:19:54
That is extremely well done. Great stuff, Amy!
Subhan Zein
Oct 12, 2012 @ 05:39:44
But is the narrator unreliable? Sounds to me like they’d stick to their guns through thick and thin…But it demonstrates wonderfully that they shouldn’t take everything at face value. Well done.:)
Oct 12, 2012 @ 05:52:41
haha….this is pretty funny….and mens insecurities….ugh….i def dont mind giving out man hugs though and think nothing of it….
Oct 12, 2012 @ 06:37:35
This is funny, Amy and also not at the same time..he he…there’s so much drama and anger that can get built up in people’s minds and half the time what they think’s going on is not even the real story. You captured this scene like a pro, Amy, Well done!!
Oct 12, 2012 @ 06:51:37
Haha… very clever. I agree with Hannah”s comment.. Some people are so full of their own importance. LOL
Loved this smack down …
Oct 12, 2012 @ 07:02:55
Amy – a incisive cut at all homophobes in an easily relatable form! That is what excellent writing can be all about ! That is what the sparkly gem is! Thoroughly enjoyed
Oct 12, 2012 @ 07:11:23
Ha! Very funny. This is really clever. The mindset feels also a little intrigued/jealous. I’m sure that’s intended, but you’ve done is with some subtlety as well as humor. k.
Oct 12, 2012 @ 07:11:47
ps – meant to say great humor! k.
Oct 12, 2012 @ 07:45:42
Ah, yes! Self-perception vs Reality… The humour underlines a deeper social ill which needs to be examined: this unreasonable hatred of the gay community .
Oct 12, 2012 @ 08:00:29
nice…well done on several levels. I was confused at first, until I got to the punchline!
Oct 12, 2012 @ 08:29:17
well done
Oct 12, 2012 @ 08:49:02
While the ending gives us the irony and p-o-v, the last line masterfully gives us the underlying truth.
Oct 12, 2012 @ 09:12:58
This is just perfect, Amy–for the prompt, but also for the twisted logic of the ego-centric homophobe who is obviously subconsciously in such a different place that his over-compensating hostility attempts to disguise. The last line is priceless.
Oct 12, 2012 @ 09:25:58
Amy, you knocked this one right out of the park. I so enjoyed it. Big grin at the deflation of Super-Size-Me ego.
Oct 12, 2012 @ 09:36:30
my wife says XYZ – eXamine Your Zipper! Funny stuff.
Oct 12, 2012 @ 11:02:29
The world needs more poems like yours ….. brava!!
Oct 12, 2012 @ 12:43:02
Just goes to show, never judge a book by its cover! I’m not sure whether Google lost my earlier comment, or whether you decided to ignore it – though I can’t remember saying anything that would warrant that…
You’ve made a very valid point – there are far too many judgmental people in the world.
Oct 12, 2012 @ 15:31:53
Too funny!
Oct 12, 2012 @ 15:55:55
Amy, what a fun read! You really had me going there, sure of how the ending would be, and then what a perfect twist (in more than one way) Love it!!
Oct 13, 2012 @ 23:15:18
Interesting twist.
Oct 18, 2012 @ 22:35:40
Very well done.
Oct 19, 2012 @ 02:06:10
heh-heh … love it