Inspired by David by Michelangelo, Italy, 1501-1504, marble statue and the off-Broadway musical Naked Boys Singing!

“Damn, I’m beautiful.

Sexy as hell.

Rawr.

People are going to love

staring at these abs

and gazing at this junk,”

Michelangelo’s David probably thought.

Or maybe

he was giving himself

a slightly less egotistical pep talk,

thinking more modestly instead,

“I can do this.

I can do this.

I am good enough.

There’s nothing wrong with my body.

It’s perfectly natural.

People’s won’t even notice the imperfections,

that little extra jiggle,

so stop worrying, man.”

Perhaps he’s more bored,

and wrapped up in jealous observation,

questioning

with repeated thoughts of

“How come everyone else but me

gets bright and colorful

garments to adorn themselves?,”

“When will this be over?,”

and a whiny,

“Are we there, yet?”

Whatever his thoughts,

he should join the famed

Dogs Playing Poker,

because he gives nothing away

on his cherubic face.



Rose Menyon Heflin is an emerging poet from Wisconsin.  Among other venues, her work has recently appeared in Ariel Chart,Asahi Haikuist Network, Bramble, The Closed Eye Open, The Ekphrastic Review, Haikuniverse, Plum Tree Tavern, Red Alder Review, Red Eft Review, Sparked Literary Magazine, Three Line Poetry, and Visual Verse.