The elegantly curved
wooden leg of a coffee table
on which nothing yet
has been set,
the trunk of a young elephant,
reaching up to smell the fruit
hanging ripe on every tree,
to bring something good
down into his mouth,
a helmet-headed phallus,
erect and bent,
alert and ready
to explore,
the outstretched arm
of your baby boy,
the chubby arm
of your son,
holding up orb
and cross,
globus cruciger—
for you to take
from his hand:
Here, Father,
this is for you.
Yes, this too
belongs to you.
About the Author: Jacob Friesenhahn is the author of the poetry collection The Prayer of the Mantis (Kelsay Books, 2025). This poem was first published in Ginosko Literary Journal, #33, Winter 2024-2025.