Jeremy Allen White in his Underwear by Samantha Imperi

I’m trying to write a poem about masculinity
and all I can think about
is the new ad for Calvin Klein
with Jeremy Allen White in his underwear
running around on a rooftop
doing pushups and posing,
hanging off the fire escape,
flexing to show off all those muscles,
ones he toned for a big role in that new movie.
Jeremy Allen White is resplendent
in his underwear, all those abs just rippling
in the skyline golden hour glow and of course,
he never smiles, only glares at the camera
like he’s looking right into your soul,
and wanting you. I saw it
on the internet first, the women
drooling, fawning, fainting
over Jeremey Allen White in his underwear
like they’d never seen a half-naked man
do a push-up before, like they’d never
been cat-called on the street
in broad daylight. It happens
that there’s a couch on the rooftop
and Jeremy Allen White
sprawls himself enticingly
in his underwear
on the green velvet cushions
while a flock of doves takes flight
into the city skies behind him.
It’s not supposed to mean anything, only
buy this, wear that. And I mean,
don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed
seeing Jeremy Allen White in his underwear.
And I’m sure he made a pretty penny
to strip down and bare his bulge
for the world to see. There’s always
more to the story: makeup,
photoshop, an animal handler
for the doves. Everybody’s swooning
for Jeremy Allen White in his underwear
and somewhere there is a boy
standing at the mirror
bare-chested, wondering
who he’s supposed to be.

Samantha Imperi is a poet, writer, and instructor from Northeast Ohio. She received her MFA from the NEOMFA consortium program at the University of Akron in 2023 and is currently studying for her Ph.D. at Ohio University. Her work appears or is forthcoming in The Southern Review, Allium, Pinch, and The Headlight Review, among others. Follow her on socials @simperi08 or visit samanthaimperi.net for more information.