a man wants to sleep off the drink
and bust his ass till sundown
a man wants to win every board game
and a new girl on Tuesday

He wants the ocean behind brown eyes

a man is a leader of men
and a burden to society
a man is a creature of habit
and a camel chewing cud

He is forever becoming the other

a man does as he pleases
and does the dishes
a man does his own taxes
and does the deed

He does a fine job balancing pleasure with ambition

a man believes in humanity for awhile
and friendship as consolation
a man believes science is less corrupt
and fighting against strident voices

He believes in anything that punishes cruelty

a man needs a tiny waisted maid
and a drink of Irish whiskey
a man needs primitive rock n’ roll
and everything and then some more

He needs stillness to consider

how far he’s come
what else he needs to do
and the time he has left
to sit quietly in his study

Or scream in search of small gods

November 21st, 2016
Ventura, CA