Boys on Film

The boys on film

Pretend to like boys

And get asked

If it’s acting

Or something else

‘Do you really like—’

‘No.’

A bit too quick

A bit too quick to answer

You don’t answer that kind of answer

That kind of way

These days

You show hesitation

You imply that if you did really like—

Well, what would be the problem with that?

But you don’t

And you’re saying you don’

Because ultimately

You do want people to know

You’re not

And you want credit

You want credentials

You want people to know

You’re an actor

That this

Was acting

And not just any acting

But brave acting

You weren’t just

Giving a performance

You

Were being

Brave

Even though

You were really just

Uncomfortable

Because you’re not going to win any awards

For being uncomfortable

Actors are uncomfortable all the time

Hold this sword

Be uncomfortable

Learn this dance

Feel uncomfortable

Wear this corset

It’s uncomfortable

It’s all

Very

Uncomfortable

But very little of it

Would be called

Brave

But lucky for you

Lucky, lucky for you

You boys on film

That you found a loophole

You found a way

To take acting

And make it

Brave

You took things like kissing

And nudity

And even sex

And made it dangerous

Because while doing it

You found it to be

Uncomfortable

Well bravo—

Not for the performance

That wasn’t all that good

Although you did a nice job

Of hiding how much you wanted to squirm

Or maybe you didn’t want to squirm

Maybe you enjoyed yourself

Maybe you’re a straight boy

Playing a gay boy

Playing a straight boy

Now that would impress me

Or maybe these lines

Just aren’t as rigid

As you think they are

And occasionally

We kiss another human being

We’re not supposed to want to kiss

And find that we actually like it

And that’s fine

But it’s not, you know

A performance

It’s not brave

Brave is watching a character

Who feels the way you feel

And loves the way you love

And kisses the kind of people

You want to kiss

Being played by someone

Who says—very loudly

Very demonstratively

That he does not feel that way

That he doesn’t love that way

That he doesn’t want to kiss

People like that

But oh, ho hum

He doesn’t see

Anything

Wrong with it

Not putting your head through a wall

Or giving up what you love doing

Performing

Acting

After hearing something like that

Said by someone like that

By one of those boys on film

That?

That’s brave

You?

Well

You must be doing

Something else