Friends With and Without Benefits, a Rival in Arms

Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem

A pair of blue green eyes and half a smile

Hid half of hatred in the friendship, — love, —

Whatever.  Friendship’s by a longish mile

Much wore than plain romantic love.  The shove

Of friendship maleness is far worse than sex

Of man with woman mixing.  Friendships need

That edge of competition like a hex

On love.  In friendships men forbid their seed

From splatting in the one they love, that man

A friend insists he loves.  Two rivals, men,

Can’t let off steam, inserting cum in can,

Though, maybe, sometimes they do, now and then.

Though if they don’t, they thrust vanilla hate.

This problem comes with being plain ole straight.

©  Phillip Whidden