Kevin Trent Boswell

unspeakable things

I may need someone to
bail me out of jail one day

a few rude words?
I ignore that nonsense

rise above that garbage
pseudo-alpha peacocking

I’ll laugh it off, or stare at you, blankly

but don’t put your hands on me or mine

I don’t know you, so I’ll assume
that you intend serious harm,
and that you’re capable of it

which means I won’t “phone it in”
or give unnecessary warnings

I’ll just break you, snap you in half
like a fresh string bean

I’m capable of far worse things than you,
on your best day, and my worst

I didn’t choose golf or video games
I chose martial arts, guns, and black magic

you are merely uncouth, and ill-tempered

I am polite, well-mannered, patient,
observant, and unapologetically evil

evil to the core

bonkers

the world has gone and goes
farther into madness each day

hands gripping the panicked ledge
clock prying weak fingers away

losing all safety and sanity,
stripped of it daily and nightly

if you can find yourself an anchor,
hold on to it fiercely and tightly

a proper beau

a dapper gentleman in a suit
a prowler lurking near
a kind fellow holding flowers
a sly devil in a trench coat

a maiden has no way of knowing

desiring yet fearing pursuit,
certain words she yearns to hear
to fall into charming powers
a request, a command, a careful note

a glowing smile is telling, showing

a callous beast who cheats and lies
or a happy tear brought by a lover
a spineless, cowering, simpering wimp
or a loyal man who inspires devotion

a rock, a champion to win her heart

someone bold, a little older, wise
a warrior to shield her and cover
caresses that make her weak and limp
to make forever more than a notion

if hurdles may be overcome at the start

Glow-Up

I never felt the need
To pretend
That everything was okay

It’s normal to hurt and bleed
When things end
And people go away

I never felt the need to be cruel
To act like it didn’t matter to me
As if I was unfazed, fine, even great

It takes a special kind of fool
To show off, hoping they’ll see,
And giving in to a petulant hate

Back in the Day

Back in the old days,
If a lady thought she fancied you,
She’d drop her handkerchief;
You were looking, and she knew

This signaled to a gentleman
“Sir, do come and flirt with me”
In returning it, his charm
(Or lack thereof) she could see

Supposedly, now a quick smile
Does what the hanky used to
But modern men know better,
There is no acceptable thing to do

One woman says, “Here is good,
“But never, ever, over there!”
But the next one will say the opposite;
So, men guess in despair

If you approach because she smiled,
She’ll say, “I was just being polite”
But suddenly, she’s uncomfortable,
And she’ll say, “That’s not right!”

If you cannot read her mind,
Then your head is made of rock
And unless you’re rich and famous,
You’ll be slandered on TikTok

But if you don’t take the risk,
Then she’ll feel like you rejected her
She’ll tell her friends you’re a coward
When you thought you respected her

A woman thinks she’s flirting
If she blushes, smiles, and fidgets
But if you want him to make a move,
Drop a hanky or your digits

weekend

“time to pretend that we’re so cool
“as if we’d earned it, and we deserve more
“time to act like a selfish fool
“lose track of the count, settle the score”

you can have all that; you guys go ahead
it’s a hard no; I’m not into it, pass
shallow people make me wish I was dead
I’d rather eat a bowl of broken glass