"And pose. And relax.
And please if we could have
Some music now for the 30 second
Posedown."
Prance. Flex. Show the others up, strike
a better pose, pivot, pose again.
How many months to make
this tan-in-a-can man
dripping oil, tensing 'til he shakes.
Grimace and flex, strain against the constrain
of veined and sinewed skin.
"And front double bicep -"
- arms shiny like drumsticks
"Front lateral spread, please -"
- plastic chests gleam
"Side of your choice - "
- pivot, turn, tuck and duck, like there's
too long a line for the toilet
"Gentlemen face the back of the stage please - "
- a leg extends, plants, the muscles of the back
dance. A whole body suspended in one giant
charlie horse, a ripple of stones across shoulders.
"Front isolation - "
- washboard abs, women in the audience
absently reach for laundry baskets, recover
"Side triceps - "
- these men could rip off their own heads
if they so chose
"Final pose, most muscular -"
- how do they find clothes?
"Bring these gentlemen
their participation medals."
Unable to stop, they push imaginary
grocery carts and lawnmowers to make their
muscles pop. Ken dolls with real hair, bulging
trunks. Skeletal rolls and ropes, basted turkeys
with no dark meat.
So muscular
they can just barely move: have not
eaten real food
in weeks.
"And leave the stage so we can announce
the top three."
Reluctantly sliding out of the lights
snapping their trunks
slapping their feet.
Three come back.
Inevitably: the biggest man
wins.
2 comments:
I read this before reading its author - this is different for you I think, which I find interesting.
Being I am not into the 'trunk-snapping' man (or in spite of?)I much liked descriptions of the..tan-in-a-can man, drumsticks for arms, and sinewed skin.
And it works well to use non-masculine sounding descriptors to balance out the muscles: pose, prance, pivot.
Looking forward to more, andie!
Hey andie!
Great concept, and I like your reference to the domestic roles of women and men. I wonder if you shouldn't try rearranging some of the lines to create better flow and to tighten the piece up?
I enjoyed the "Ken dolls with real hair, bulging/trunks. Skeletal rolls and ropes, basted turkeys/with no dark meat" (works well to set the scene and to create a comparison) and wonder if you couldn't get some of this information earlier in the poem?
The ending could be stronger--maybe not ending it? Not sure I have any ideas for you on it; I just think it needs a little more muscle! Hehe.
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