There was a reason we didn’t…
strangely persistent
we were
about the rules in our clubhouse
the Sukkoth booth that stood long past its time
where we men—children
…didn’t let girls hang out with us
afraid mostly of them becoming men
and we them hanging curtains
planting flowers
playing with plastic imitations
of ourselves that sometimes spoke
it seemed unfathomable to see
hammer or stone
in such delicate hands
hands meant for caring
we didn’t let girls in
we were boys busy
trying to be men—like our fathers <
…kept away because we loved them.