When all the gay boys get their shit
together, go to the gym and get fit

When all the gay boys get their shit
together, go to the gym and get fit
together, I sit and generally complain
about the weather and all that,
she says – That is why you’re fat!
Now, now, I say, what’s the hustle,
have you had a look at my arm,
lately a tendon threatens to look
like a muscle, so be calm, and by
the way, I am very good health-wise,
twice a day, I think about exercise.
(Thanks to Pramada Menon)
About the author
Born in Bareilly, U.P. in 1985, Akhil Katyal is a writer and translator based in Delhi where he also teaches literature. His writings have appeared in The UCity Review, North East Review, The Four Quarters Magazine, The Bangalore Review, Ezra - Journal of Translation, Earthen Lamp Journal, Ivory-Tower among several others. He has translated the works of Mangalesh Dabral, Wislawa Szymborska, Agha Shahid Ali, Om Prakash Valmiki, Dorothy Parker, Langston Hughes among others. He finished his PhD from SOAS, University of London in 2011. Write to him at akhilkatyal@gmail.com.
I wish we would use the word “men” more than “boys”. All this boy / boi / boys business seems like an obsession to hold on to something from the past and not ever really grow up.
Interesting point! It’s like how we refer to the female species, “Women” on most occasions. Mainly because it is commonly assumed that they “mature” at an early age. Whereas with the male species, the common notion is “Boys will always be boys”.
This brought a smile to my face. đŸ™‚