Francis Bennion - Poetry - Poemotions - A Man's Desire for a Boy

Those important things
to which my life must defer:
honour, truth,
to which my life must be devoted:
fidelity, sincerity;
ranking in the realms of virtue:
with denial, trial.

Acceptable, admirable things
to which my life must defer:
love of my children
to whom my life must be devoted:
service to the community;
ranking in the realms of virtue
with self-denial.

Those important things,
sadly very much less than skin
and blood, pumping in certain youths
through parts absurdly shaped and structured:
to which my life must not be devoted;
under-ranking, in the realms of virtue, self-denial,

And being infantile.

Start of page 247 in the book

Silent Worship

Let no man think he loves
a tender shapely youth:
such love, though tasted, is wasted.

Let no mature spirit,
occupying temporarily some overlooking edge,
get time so wrong.

Perceive and know, you Druid
the risk of being time's fool:
a risk you dare, but must not, take.

Yet conviction grows:
youth observed must be served.
Worship then, but silently.

Start of page 248 in the book

Receiver and Response

His miraculous eyes
on that one evening received a million signals.
Some (from stars)
emitted before he was born.

His miraculous brain
turned the signals to pictures within his mind's eye.
Some (of boys)
too beautiful to be borne.

His small miracle failed
when he tried to transmit his responses.
Some (to beauty)
said only: my heart is torn.

Start of page 249 in the book

Obstacle

It is an obstacle
to my peace of mind
that there should be youths:

especially youths with long hair.
They are an obstacle
to my peace of mind.

In no way is it
a fault of the youths.
They are on their rapid way to maturity.

Almost all of them feel
they want to get there
as soon as they can.

Jumping, or trying to jump,
over the abyss of their youth
nearly always they fail to see

the quality that fortuitously
forms the obstacle to my peace of mind.
Envy a few years older pounds down on the slim shoulder.

Slick experience
refutes their clear clean principle.
Being an obstacle is no concern of theirs.

They have more pressing concerns.
Innocent of their youthful beauty
they proceed to lose it.

I should be glad at the remorseless departure
of that obstacle to my peace of mind but:
they have younger brothers.

Start of page 250 in the book

Self Taut

Your taut smooth fawn skin -
O the muscle and bone,
O the perfect tension
as skin spans bone!

The flighty, veering zest -
O the brand new zest,
O the muddle and bone
as the slim line spans the frame!

I lie with you; you lie with me.
Lying together, we lie separately.
O the young quick snap
of climbing, burgeoning sap!

You're in a different world;
but I touch you, yes there is that touch -
not enough, not much;
but there is that shy sweet touch.