several ways to tie a tye 

go for the throat. a snake
in the bathtub. we held our manhood
like a wrist. when was the last time
you were willingly tied to the tree?
in the yard, everyone is a post.
i look at myself in the mirror 
& slip fabric beneath collar. consider
making a simple knot with the paisley tie.
i learned to be a man incompletely
through slideshows in the shower
& neighborhood boys on bikes.
i played baseball with leaves.
tying the tyes together to make a chain.
rapunzel in the attic writing
a horror novel about girls who want 
to be handsome. guarding the vein.
dinner with loved ones in which 
the tie is vestigial. pink halos
around my neck. around my wrist.
this is where i was tethered. this is
where my body slipped free gasping.
hardwired to forget, i draw diagrams.
i write step by step instructions.
when my father gets ready he becomes
a statue at the bathroom mirror.
he does not smile. the tie makes herself.
his hands know routine. he becomes 
beautiful. combs his hair. brushes his
parchment teeth. i take a dime's worth
of lotion & rub it in between my fingers
before i go searching again. 
i don't own any tyes.