After William A Sutton’s Saint Sebastian, 1951
your friend in his
immaculate white rugby shorts
supple back on full display
and let’s not forget about
the arrows……..
quills quivering downward like
he was shot from below
i hesitate to sit on the bench
and look up at him
in case someone mistakes me for
a heterosexual woman….
it’s an exhibit about masculinity
after all muscles everywhere
and tenderness bleeding slowly
behind cordons
canterbury clouds curl around
him hip to supplicating wrists
and hold him there
i take a selfie that night
face out of view
flexing but not really flexing
wrists crossed behind my
canted head……
three months on testosterone
my riverbed spine
my willing flesh yields just like his
Featured art by kī anthony inspired by the original artwork. A catalogued version of this painting can be seen on page 52 of this retrospective text from the Christchurch Art Gallery.
