A Family Disgrace

When he was four,
His father bought him a combat toy
And a plastic doll with curly hair for his sister.
He liked the doll more.
His mother said it was sweet when he cradled it
And his father said nothing
But hoped it was just a phase.
The boy didn’t realize that boys aren’t supposed
To play with dolls.
They must have forgot to tell him.

When he was ten,
His father took him to a wrestling match.
But he was much more interested
In going to hip-hop and jazz dance class with his sister.
His mother said it was okay, dance was an expression
And his father said, "At least it’s not ballet."
Or something equally girly, he thought.
The boy didn’t realize that boys aren’t supposed
To love dancing.
They must have forgot to tell him.

When he was fourteen,
His father made him play football
And hang out with the ‘tough’ guys on the team.
He adored it, because of the boy with brown hair and freckles.
His mother said it was nice how close they were getting
And his father said maybe not,
It was kind of odd how much they clung to each other.
The boy didn’t realize that boys aren’t supposed
To draw too close together.
They must have forgot to tell him.

When he was fifteen,
His father sent him to a kind of camp
To make him forget the freckled boy, and maybe find a girl
But he still loved the freckled boy.
His mother said at least he was happy
And his father said he was a disgrace
And kicked him out on the streets.
The boy didn’t realize that boys aren’t supposed
To love other boys.
They must have forgot to tell him.

When he was almost sixteen,
His father went to his funeral.
The boy had been victim of the cold of the streets
With no shelter to keep him warm, and the freckled boy powerless to help him.
His mother said nothing, only wailed in sadness
And his father shed tears he had never let his son cry
And said maybe he had been too harsh
The boy didn’t realize that parents are supposed
To love their sons. His did, but in their mission to make him how they wanted,
They must have forgot to tell him.