How to be a Man by Douglas Korb


My brother-in-law laughs at me. He is a man
who does not question manhood. That’s what it takes
to be a man. No questions asked.

*

A man who loves flowers is a man,
but I only like flowers.

*

John Wayne was a man’s man, then Clint Eastwood, then my father-in-law
who loves flowers. All have hats.

*

All men are hats. Mens’ hats do not look good on women.
If I look good in a man’s hat, I am a man.
Diane Keaton looks good in a man’s hat.

*

Because I married a beautiful woman I am a man.
Because I am still married to a beautiful woman,
I am a man. Because I am still, I am a man.

*

Men wake up. Men make money. Men drink coffee.
Bees wake up. Bees make honey. Bees drink nectar.
I am a bee, man.

*

A man hit me to make himself look good. It hurt.
I cursed a man to make me feel good. It hurt.

*

If I am a man, I am only one man. Since I am married
I am two men. Because I have children I am every man.

*

Jumping naked into a frozen pond is an act of man.
When the ice does not break that man is a fool.
Men are fools.

*

Mankind is neither all men nor kind. Words fail
most men. All men fail eventfully.

*

I have a watch that fails in telling time.
It is expensive. All men want my watch. They
do not know time fails them.

*

drinkdrinkdrinkdrinkdrink

*

Men do not breathe
They drink the air
Men do not sigh
They groan
Men do not do not
They don’t

*

What it means to be a man is meaning
I mean to be a man. Men are mean.

*

Success is measured in inches not yards.
The only men who measure are small men.
If I am happy I order a tall drink, if
I am sad, it’s a short one.

*

Every day I check the scores. Men
always know how many innings are left.
when I die, it will be game over.

*

Men know corked bats are cheating
but men still cork their bats.

*

Men is plural. There are many men.
Man is singular. I am a man.

*

Am I alone?

 

Douglas Korb is the author of a chapbook, The Cut Worm, and his poems and reviews have appeared in magazines such as Hobart, Versal, Barrelhouse, Spork, RHINO, Talisman, Poet Lore, and elsewhere. His erasure art can be found online at www.brokarthere.wordpress.com. He lives in Marlboro, VT.