a man’s world

My childhood
In the hands of the broken ones
Was being tied to chairs
Beaten
Beaten

I didn’t break

But I did get angry
And I learned to never get close

Run son

At 50, looking back
Learned that deeper than anything else

I call myself a bachelor
Like to say, truly
That the best women
The ones I like most
Are
“the next one”
(Old joke, told until it was true)

Lies
All lies
Lies to me

Really I’m 5 years old
Unloved
Unlovable
And empty

A cage of scars
Fists up

The stubbornest
Dumbest
Slow-learningest
50 year old 5 year old
In the sandpit

This life



I can put a boat to sea
Lay my fate at the feet of Tangaroa

I can build whatever you need
Dam. No worries.
$1b of tunnels. No worries.
Longest bridge of its type in the world. No worries.

At 50, only a cv behind me
Liquor and broken hearts
Mine too
Mine mostly, cos women know trouble
And the ones who stay
Stay for that

Time to stop
Turn around
And open some boxes
In me

Got a therapist
And the small courage to keep turning up

It’s enough

Some sessions
I start crying
And keep crying
$120 an hour

He nods
Calls me “deeply wounded”

I want to know how many times
I have to lay myself bare
To this wheel
These whips

He gives the answer
Therapists do
“It’s a journey with no end”

The other road, the one I was on, did have an end

A rope or a neat incision, a bender, a dark night, a decision

Fuck that road

Never been so brave
Never been so broken
Never been so naked, skinless, aware of what I am

I cry
I go to work
I cry
I go to the gym
I cry

I keep going

This is a life

Dead men can’t feel this

That at least is better
Than the road my father took

I’ll keep my blood in me

And leak tears
For what was

hemi my man glad you could turn up x

This competition would have been better hosted by a man, I think...
Then I might have joined.

sorry billy are my balls not big enough for you

it is going to public vote so feel free to enter x

Ah ok Anna. I would have been confident with your judgement. It's more my own confidence that I'm struggling with.

write us a poem about it gwaarn

I like your 'dare me' approach.

in yer own time then 😂 x

thanks for all your entries babes. don’t forget to vote !

thank fuck for that. yours was a belter hemi

Well shit! I forgot to vote on this but congratulations, Hemi! Well deserved win!

Congrats to Hemi. I’m very chuffed with runner up to be fair :)

It was hard to compete with a man's man like Hemi. Kudos.

He's the Chris Hemisworth of DUP.

sorry, well done to runners up as well, my eyes skimmed over that... all well deserved x