How Does A Man Grow Poem by richard ilnicki

how does a man grow?

how does a man grow
as he gets older?
does he continue to grow
like that youthful weed
which ripped impetuously
the unsuspecting earth apart?
does the hard head of his passion
part the blood,
the great divide, the red sea,
to reach the forbidden shore
on which his lover stands?
does the spring of his urge
to touch the sun
shatter the quiet landscape
and turn the moon on its heels
into something edible?

how does a man grow?
does he grow by becoming bigger,
wealthier, healthier, happier,
more successful,
achieve less bodyfat,
get faster, get stronger,
increase his vertical leap?
though these accomplishments may be laudatory
they are not the best way for a man to grow.
the best way
for a man to grow
is to grow in wisdom
and to humble himself in the sight of God,
and then to love his wife
in the same fashion as he loves his own body.