A List of Lessons
Lessons learned too late by boys in old hollows – James Purdy
The boys I wanted when I was a boy still
cannot see me, they were never supposed to.
I won’t get all these books read, or watch
all those movies before I die, and that is OK.
All interactions are adversarial; the way the
heater and stereo compete for my attention.
They’re right. Take the time to smell that
rose, that jasmine; it’s a cliché for a reason.
All that lifting with the legs to save my back
has paid off with shot knees and a bad back.
Love is not lightning, it is a structure built
to accommodate our emotional disabilities.
About the Author: M.J. Arcangelini, (b.1952, Pennsylvania) resides in northern California since 1979. He has published extensively in both print and online venues & over a dozen anthologies. He is the author of 8 published collections, the most recent of which are the full-length PAWNING MY SINS, 2022 (Luchador Press), and the chapbooks FIERCE KISSES (Rebels & Squares Press) 2024 & HOOKING UP (Pure Sleaze Press, 2025). He has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Image Credit: Władysław Ślewiński “Mask and books” (1897) Public domain image courtesy of Artvee
As It Ought To Be 