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Two Poems from The Dark Set: New Tenderman Poems
In The Dark Set: New Tenderman Poems, Tim Bowling wrestles with his own conflicted feelings about masculinity, fatherhood, history, citizenship and power, in this wry yet haunting collection of poems dedicated to the Tenderman – a character from another time, a worker in a lost resource culture. His poems question the current state of North America’s working class, reflecting on a rough-edged, wilder past, while looking forward to the future.
Two Poems from The Dark Set: New Tenderman Poems
POEMS ON THE CURRENT SOCIO-POLITICAL SITUATION FOUND ON MY YOUNGEST SON’S MAGIC: THE GATHERING PLAYING CARDTap an untapped creature you control. You, tenderman?You’re always on tap but never on top. Transformtown Gossipmonger. To what? Fishmonger?Been there, done that. Incite Rabble attackseach combat if able. If? What rabblerousing from its century of stony sleep is ever able?Someway again, pal, we must muster the willto gather and storm His Lordship’s castle –we owe it to our fathers and the seaand the magic of the flowing river.Gossipmonger. Rumours are sparks:gather enough of them and something’s going to catch fire.  INTERVIEW WITH A TEENAGED DAUGHTERHow’s your creep radar, kid?Fine-tune it and train it on the tendermanfor practice. Blip blipscreeeeeeeeethat about nails it.But there are plenty of candidatesfor the poster boy of misogyny.Hey! Quit fooling aroundDon’t point that thing at meBlip blip blipThe sound of every fatherraising a daughterbreathing eyes-wide-openunderwater.* * *Thank you to Noelle and Sadia at Wolsak and Wynn and to Tim Bowling for sharing The Dark Set: New Tenderman Poems with us.
