toxic masculinity poems

Man Up | Ivan Jenson - A Poetry Website Featuring Poems by Contemporary Poets

Man Up | Ivan Jenson

This sweeping
weeping
soggy saga
of sadness
which clouds
this guy’s eyes
while raining
question marks
from the skies
is finally getting
me where it hurts
making me
a toddler who
is never allowed
desserts
and I will wail
tonsils vibrating
the sort of shriek
that could ruin your week
until somebody
pinches my cheek
a little too hard
for my own good
while repeating
the outdated phrase
‘big boys don’t cry’
until it is
thoroughly understood
and then I will tell them
that sorrow is a crucial
part of my identity
and to kindly lay off
my masculinity

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The Great Santini | Stan Morrison - A Poetry Website Featuring Poems by Contemporary Poets

The Great Santini | Stan Morrison

twenty-five years in the us army
still got that little boy haircut
wearing fatigues to the commissary
while keeping important contacts
run your household like a drill sergeant
your sadistic fantasy career and life path
canned images of honor, glory and respect
“clean that latreen with a toothbrush, soldier
you’ll be cleaning it every day for a month”
obscene defense budgets for war toy games
parades, holidays for those who gave their lives
for the failures of old men driven by greed
wear your dress uniform to simulate greatness
honoring a lifetime of service to our country
my hero!

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