This instrument confines me.
It caresses my flesh with a pleasant tension
then consumes it in cold and unyielding steel
The instrument is harsh and unforgiving
It is the metallic keeper of my secrets
and it is the secret

The metal only remains cold for a time
then the fire of my desires expands to fill it
As I fill it, the metal becomes warm, as if we were one
The metal reminds me of my limits
and gives me boundaries

The metal becomes an extension of my desire
and a symbol of my commitment
Without it, I am me
With it, I am more

Is it an escape?
maybe, but not to the outside
An escape to the inside, where I dream
An escape to where I can be me

I am not afraid for my masculinity
The steel reminds me that I am
and extends my understanding of what it is to be male
To remain in control all of the time is limiting
Man can not know himself that way
Man can only know himself in the face of another
To be free is to give up the key
and face whatever is to come

The steel surrounds me
I do not fear it
I embrace its hold on me
This instrument binds me
and it sets me free.