
Four Poems
Masculinity I learned its meaning from my mother. Warm like the compress I steadied against her stoma. Gentle exertion as I attached her colostomy bag. Reassuring eye contact when she apologized “for this god-awful mess.” Ready to remind her: the countless times she changed me as a child. Grateful to mine affection wherever it might be found. Parade My father built a cage for me:two-by-fours jerry-riggedto a neighbor’s rusty flatbed,my sister trimming it with streamers—blue and … Continue reading Four Poems