September 15th, 2025
by JM Kehoe
How do men
become men
without being
first boys?
Trading play
for labour—
donning the cruel
yoke of freedom
Hands digging
caverns deep,
deep into one's
soul
Hands slicing
up pollock—
hands sluicing
through the icy black sea
Until creased, knobbly hands can
no longer thread
the thinness
of their body
Through the
stifling day—
through the
suffocating night
So, they sit haunched,
eyeing boys at play—
both disapproving,
and envious.
About the Poet
JM Kehoe resides in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Read the poet's biography and Wax Poetry and Art publications
on JM Kehoe's Artist Page.
This poem is included in Comet #6,
published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
Previously published in Canada Poetry Magazine:
Tides
by JM Kehoe
Canada Poetry Magazine is part of the Wax Poetry and Art Network.
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