Poussé Poussé

I happened to hear #9 Dream by John Lennon. 
What did “Ah! Böwakawa, poussé poussé” mean? 
Nothing. Words from a dream. The original 
lyric was pussy but it was changed to sound 
foreign in order to please the record company. 
I think the first time I heard pussy was Tom 
Jones singing “What’s New Pussycat?”  Or maybe 
it was pussy willow, the ones kept in a vase in the 
living room in spring. A gym teacher once called 
us pussies. Afterwards in the shower I wondered 
why some boys tucked dicks between legs and 
laughed. What did I know? My friend’s older 
brother said that the man across the street was 
pussy-whipped. When he showed me a pink shot 
in Hustler I felt like I was falling off the top of
a high-rise. That night at dinner I didn’t touch 
my salmon; I just kept staring at the filet even 
after I was told to stop pussyfooting around and eat. 

-

One of Those Boys

We were never one of those boys
a hit single moving through
a middle school hallway     
hardened by hormones

swinging starward over water     

letting go 
to write our name 
in wet concrete clouds     

the can opener finish 

long sun king hair     
skateboard smile
performing tricks

clackers
yo-yos
the half-court jump shot swish

a soda jerk
in a white hat and shirt
bright as a blessing

a jukebox preaching
its rapture of romance
lifting the shiny hearts of girls
shouting Amen!
in the budding church
of each chest leaning
on a counter

the male gaze
of those boys was magic

we dreamed of being
their lovely assistant
softly sawed in half

creating the illusion
that we were once whole