Almost Island
By Kent Neal
June 21st, Music Day in Lyon.
Hand in hand, man and man wander
from band to band, listening
to jazz, to rock, to rap, to pop.
Beer bottle bangs Alfredo’s cranium—
improvised drum. Girl hurls slurs like spears.
Beats shatter the early morning. Concussion
from percussion. Boris’ left tibia snaps
like a violin bow. Bloody fingers intertwine.
If gay men rose up, marched on the Presqu’île,
this almost island, assumed positions
of affectionate pose to manhandle
the heterocentric gaze, would we resemble
mannequins in boutique displays?
1. Peyre P. LGBTphobie : Un couple gay sauvagement agressé à Lyon. têtu. June 28, 2017. https://tetu.com/2017/06/28/couple-gay-sauvagement-agresse-a-lyon/
Kent Neal, a gay poet, has published three poetry collections: The Compass, the Labyrinth, and the Hourglass (2015), Where Saltwater Mixes With Freshwater (2017), and A Ray of Light in the Lion’s Eye (2021). He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University. Originally from Oregon, Kent lives in Lyon, France. One of his poems won 6th place for non-rhyming poetry in the 2025 Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. His work has appeared in The Hole In The Head Review, Bicoastal Review, Puerto del Sol, and elsewhere. Visit: http://www.kentneal.com
