able
i will be a man when i pee into a toilet
i pee into a potty
i will be a man when i walk to school by myself
i ride to school with mummy
i will be a man when i have hair between my legs
i am hairless
i will be a man when i kill an animal
i am killess
i will be a man when i make a man
i am seedless
I killed a man
I am a man
all a man needs are emptied testicles and a full stomach
twenty-five years later the image that haunts me is between Richard’s thighs
the lion prides many lionesses but does not mate for life
as animals exited the Ark two-by-two
humans go two-by-two
but not Rich and I
a man’s needs are first between his thighs
stomach second
any third?
Rich and I met our first need
neither-man stayed until light
killed the line with a M1A2 tank gun turret
not enough servers to be served upon arrival
get in line
even if I self-check-out I wait for a scanner
cut in line
queue in the cafeteria for leftovers
stomach-ache line
race through the border at 90 m.p.h.
police chase line
will the doctor enter my room?
patience line
what happens at my death?
hurry up to die
©2023 Robert Fleming All rights reserved.
Robert Fleming lives in Lewes, DE. Published in United States, Canada, England, Ireland, and Australia. Member of the Rehoboth Beach and Horror Writer’s Association. Wins: 2022 San Gabriel Valley CA-1 poem, 2021 Best of Mad Swirl poetry; Nominations: 2 Pushcart and 2 Best of the Net. Follow Robert https://www.facebook.com/robert.fleming.5030