Masculinity like a Charm

I pocket my maculinity like a charm

That I may consider wearing if it wasn’t fraught with

Problems I constantly see in the mirror and all around me

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the charm itself

It’s just that I’ve been told that I don’t wear it correctly

And that such a fragile, dainty thing should not represent

What should be my most defining trait

I’ll admit sometimes I wish it were more durable

Maybe made out of brushed stainless steel with a

Hook on the end that could double as a bottle opener

But this is what’s been given to me. Sometimes it

Doesn’t even feel like it’s really mine. The way you

Inherit your father’s green eyes and uncle’s bald spot

Handed to me possessing more power than it

Deserves. A shadow looming taller than it should

Due to the position of the sun, a broken

Image seen through a glass darkly

I guess it’s mine enough to use as I will

For better or for worse. So, I’ll continue to

Pocket it like a charm, maybe wear it on occasion

With the knowledge that it’s a fragile, fickle, sometimes

Monstrous thing but that it doesn’t control or define me

Hopeful that if I wear it sparing and honest enough

Others may see that they can do the same