The Paddock Review

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Confession #80:

How to be a Man

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I insist I have no idea 

how to be a man. I insist 

I am one. Maybe 

you are too. 

…..

I know how not to be 

a man. I know what I do 

to another body 

will not make me more 

a man. 

….

I know what I do 

to another body 

could make me less. 

Less man 

by being less 

human, less than human, 

a beast consuming 

blood or tears or unyielded flesh. 

….

I do not know 

how to be a man, but 

I will not stalk with wolves.

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This poem is from the book
Confessional by Fletch Fletcher (Finishing Line Press), and is available at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/confessional-by-fletch-fletcher/

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CONFESSIONAL is a sequence of poems pulling at the raw emotions, the regrets and mistakes, the parts of ourselves we rather leave buried. Dig them up and question the ties of family, religion, tradition, love, your own mind, and how much of you is your choice or the choice of others. Steer clear of 835, as there must be parts of each of us, some hurts or joys or secrets, that must be kept to ourselves.

Fletch Fletcher is a poet, a science teacher, a brother, and a bunch of other random things that may or may not help you understand him. He was lucky enough to work with and learn from amazing poets while getting an MFA in Poetry at Drew University. Fletcher’s first collection, Existing Science (2021), was published by Assure Press.