THE INTERNET, GLOBAL CULTURE AND THE UNIQUE HALLMARKS OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY HAVE OPENED A NEW CHAPTER ON THE WAYS THAT MEN LOVE... THIS IS A THINK-TANK DEDICATED TO THE EXPLORATION OF THE WAY MATURE MEN LOVE...
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
THE NATURE OF HIM
Friday, March 7, 2025
DATING, MATING AND THE SINGLE MAN.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
A GENTLEMANLY VALENTINE: POEMS FROM 2018
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| An antique tete-a-tete Victorian Rococco Revival (love seat) |
Those of us who celebrate the robustness of manliness cannot escape the handsome topic of manly love... While love is undeniably universal we gentlemen certainly have a unique spin on the theme. And that is yet another great mystery of human science that men and women may express themselves differently though speaking from the same emotion... that of love...
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| A Silver Art Deco Champagne Bucket With Cast Foliate Handles |
There too is another spin explaining the way a poet expresses his observations of and insights into love. There are few times that I see love as either wholly perfect or flawed. I believe love is always a variably unbalanced admixture of what men would call good stuff and bad stuff. My optimism allows me to believe that love actually is more positive than negative. I believe from a purely logical perspective one can say that once love has transformed into something that is no longer wholesome it is no longer love...
It is the nature of the world in which we live, a world that has not changed so very much since human civilization began that outside forces as well as internal ones tend to cultivate and deteriorate what men call love. Love is always volatile, unstable, it is always only a summary of the people who define its evolution.
My poems explore both ends of the pendulum, all points along the trajectory and all colors in the spectrum extracting wisdom from the truths and contradictions of love and romance... A summary of love that only documents those things we like about it is false! I am accustomed to digging down into the meat of love in order to discover its secrets. I can be a bit mischievous exploring places I probably should not go to but am compelled to visit because it is right there in front of me overlooked and underestimated by everyone else. I say about love what nobody dares to say...sometimes embarrassing love itself...
The six poems that comprise a Gentlemanly Valentine were part of an effort to craft 14 poems for each day of February leading up to Valentine's Day. Perhaps next year I should be successful at writing all 14. I found that even in the soulful planning of this Valentine's Day presentation I fell short of my ultimate goal much the same as lovers fall short of the realizatiin of their earthly passions.
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| Sterling Double Antique Champagne Bucket |
The first poem titled Precipice examines the dynamics that two mature men bringing a great deal of lifes experiences bring to a relationship.
Laid-down-love is an erotic sketch examining or rather re-examining the joys of lovemaking in the horizontal orientation...
In Deepening Waters explores the fear, commitment and hope that intensify as lovers allow themselves to become vulnerable in order to explore selfless love.
Inside of Love explores the boundaries of love in a comparison, contrast to its absence. It is a three-part poem including a prologue preparing the reader for the journey; a testimony that explicates the experience and evaluates love; and finally the reflection poses a sort of moral assessment and challenge.
Bluesmentation is a meditation on failed love a sort of lamentation if you will.
Un-named is a creative fusion of fantasy and reality describing what I want from a lover and what I ultimately get from him.
I hope that you will enjoy this collection of love poems written specially for the occasion of Valentines day of 2018.
BIGDADDY BLUES
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| Antique Chinoiserie Love Seat |
1. Precipiece
2. Laid-Down Love
3. In Deepening Waters
4. Inside of Love
5. Bluesmentation
6. un-named
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| Vintage Modern 1970's Love Seat Mediterranean Revival |
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| Antique French Love Seat |
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| A Neoclassical Love Seat |
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| A Victorian Chair Circa 1850's Rococco Revival |
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| Sterling Art Nouveau Champagne Bucket |
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| Bent Wood Arts and Crafts Love Seat |
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| Hammered Copper and Cast Silver Art Nouveau Champagne Bucket |
Saturday, October 14, 2017
MAN I GOT'S THE HIDE-OUT BLUES
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| ANTIQUE WHISKEY STILL |
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Thursday, June 8, 2017
SOLILOQUY OF AN AFTER-VALENTINE
Sunday, January 15, 2017
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| A BELLE EPOCH GUIDE BOOK TO THE PARIS BROTHELS CIRCA 1880 |
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| GROTTO ENTRANCE TO A VICTORIAN BROTHEL/GENTLEMAN'S CLUB |
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| GRAND PARLOUR OF A VICTORIAN BROTHEL/GENTLEMEN'S CLUB |
“YOUR MISSION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT IS TO HAVE AMAZING SEX AS SOON AS POSSIBLE DISCUSSING THE SEXUAL TRILOGY WITH YOUR PARTNERYOUR PRIOR TO PLAY THEN DILIGENTLY DOCUMENTING THE RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT TOGETHER DURING OR AFTER EACH SESSION. THIS TAPE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 5 SECONDS!”.
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| AN UPSCALE VICTORIAN BROTHEL BOUDOIR |
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| A LATE-VICTORIAN BROTHEL |
Friday, December 23, 2016
A VERY SEXY CHRISTMAS
I meant to be naughty,
having kept an unpublished list,
of handsome desires…..
that flirted with my lips,
remaining yet un-kissed….
I lay awaiting offerings,
from votive lovers promises,
of softly denuded gifts…
set upon my passion,
in a fashion like festive garnishes…
Then a smile of arousal,
broke my gentle calm with mischief,
and dedicated cheer…
that kissed my body,
with a very sexy christmas gift…
By BIGDADDY BLUES
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
SEX AND THE MARRIED MAN: A SINGLE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO THE ETHICS OF FAMILY
5SEX AND THE MARRIED MAN:
When circumstances lead a married man to explore the dating world of gay men there is legitimate reason for the single gay men he encounters to wonder why. But why? Indeed why not? I’ve refreshed my double old fashioned glass with a handsome pour of bourbon to help me answer just that question. Should you do likewise I assure you it would be an observance of best practices… I should not assume straightway there is anything wrong with dating a married man as long as all parties involved are satisfied with the outcome. By all-parties I am referencing the married man, his male/female partner and the single gay man completing the cast.
Many people tend to categorize the intimate arrangement also known as an open relationship as problematic assuming it constitutes a fundamental evil. Typically this assumption has been made without actually vetting out the circumstances at hand. That would require a more intimate understanding of the human variables involved consisting of facts and emotions which are unavailable to the casual observer. For this reason it is best to ignore dogmatic biases when evaluating human lifestyles. It could take an ideological transformation for some people to objectively comprehend the interpersonal dynamics. But it could only make sense if it were accompanied by a basic familiarity with the specific circumstances that defined the relationship. For this reason I have always kept my distance from gossip…
There are two types of open relationships but only one of the two qualifies as actually open. When a married man cultivates a relationship with a single gay man without the knowledge or consent of his partner he has established a blind-open relationship. When a married man establishes a relationship with a single gay man with the knowledge and consent of his partner he cultivates an open relationship.
Transparency is the mature, civilized way to cultivate an open relationship. If you look closely it is clear that such an arrangement in spite of its tendency toward public admission is truly a personal phenomenon. Its inner sanctum typically exists as a covenant between two primary partners one or both of whom initiate sub-contracts with additional parties in a pyramidal matrix leaving the primary couple at the top of the food chain. As exotic as this may sound it is actually quite typical of the singles world regardless of sexual orientation. The model, simplified as a triangle relies on each person for structural and emotional stability and for this reason the entire ménage must be evaluated from a triple parallax. To some that is its fatal complication. To others it defines the threshold to simplicity. The pyramid necessarily excludes some parties from full access to the cache of associative benefits, whatever those may consist of but that is also an integral part of the buy-in.
Consider this poetic fable:
“A married man, his spouse and a single gay man are performing an impressive tabletop dance. The two table legs barely sustaining the vigorous show hazard a glimpse of the ensuing, precarious fate when the two legs break under the weight of the three dancers. The drunken crowd watches noisily waiting for gravity to end the show revising an old, outdated phrase, “it takes three to tango… but WHOA!”.”
As a mature gentleman in my early fifties I have noticed an increasing frequency in propositions from married/committed men the identites of whom shall of course remain a mystery. To this unexpected but much appreciated attention I now raise a toast! Flattery however shall get a handsome sigh of regret since I have never had the temperament to follow up on all the offers. Like my single, gay brothers who I am certain absorb the majority of these entreatments I find myself wondering where this trend comes from, where it will and could go; does anyone know?
Just for the record I have consistently rejected these offerings primarily because it contradicts my gentlemanly ethics and it unbalances the positive nature of the spiritual karma I have worked so handsomely to cultivate. Let me clarify that my personal choice has nothing to do anyone else’s, with either religion or any specific brand of blind-faith, it is not a penance suffered to absolve past sins of the flesh. I find it quite sexy to know I have past sins of the flesh… they validate me as a normal, sexual being. That being clarified allow me to affirm that if I ever slept with a married man, (and I have), I made it the most enjoyable fall from grace a brotha could ever survive…. Cheers to that revelation because while living my life I’m not adding up my sins I am simply enjoying them?
So what does a brotha do when propositioned to digress from his good common sense? Does he call his father for gentlemanly advice, does he consult his well-worn first-edition of Emily Post? He just has to look the married men in the eye and let him know where he stands! But before you do be certain you know where you stand!
Were it not for the singular fact every married man has already betrothed their plight, an unfortunate and tragically poetic Shakespearian folly, I should certainly invite them to make the most creative love our imaginations could conceive. If you agree please raise another toast! “To indulgences! may they all be orgasmically sexy!”
To be erotically honest I do look forward to breaking my own rules on occasion, to moral deconstructions and ethical erosions as they make for an interesting memoir. Also they serve to keep our egos in perspective reminding us that we are imperfect. A well planned sin here and there works to balance the equation wherein man measures himself against notions of perfection. Erotic keepsakes housed in the mind become handy when sex is but a memory... if we are fortunate enough to live that long we will see…
Whether by mature conviction or pure folly my decision to limit myself to platonic relationships with married men speaks directly from my philosophy as a man. And I find a double shot of Kentucky bourbon-whiskey helps… I have stepped back from critique refusing to judge any man’s personal journey and redirecting that energy to assert the power of my gentlemanly values in this life’s journey. Standing back from oneself, watching yourself live is a potent draught. Yet so few of us appear to be strong enough to stomach it…
A man who fails to understand and live his own philosophy is not a complete man he is a pupal-man, a vacant-body, a voyeur, or an automaton… he is as close to being soulless as anyone could be…
The pool of available, single men between 40 and 60 has become such a rarefied draught simply by attrition leaving the subset of single, mature men even smaller. Add the personal filters that determine attraction and then step back to assess what remains… be careful choosing your poison! Love is such a private road. Clearly the absence of attractive options has created a demand on both sides of the curve. I believe it’s safe to assume many married men realize they are considered to be a desirable commodity for the consumption of single men and vice versa. What’s often lost in translation is the human side. Sex often drives the attraction but there are other human variables that surface as primary players when the matter is placed under a microscope. Specifically the third wheel in an open relationship is typically left floating in limbo without advocacy. Typically the third wheel is either oblivious and/or locked-out form the details through the craftiness of the first wheel, AKA the husband. Of course as the model becomes more pathological all parties save the married man are blind-pawns feeding a megalomaniacal ego. That’s clearly the down side of sexual deception but human to its core...
That is where I step in. As a gentleman I assume responsibility for protecting the integrity of the Third party be they a wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, whatever the case… If a married man approaches me to participate in the violation of his vows, his associative contractual responsibilities, as a gentleman I am foresworn to decline. Until I can confirm that third parties are not being hurt everything is placed on hold! Such sterling chivalry leaves a man to wonder how he ever got the idea to turn such potentially good sex down. Were it not for the fact I have enjoyed a rich and plentiful sex and philosophical life I should probably never have realised this epiphany. Managing that potential is really what maturity is all about. This includes being real about human weakness imperfect as I am…. I know I may succumb to desire and if that is my karma I will explore it to its fullest, guiltless and lustily so! Human frailty my friend is forgivable but predatory thirstiness is patently ungentlemanly!
The needle spins in both directions, a single gay man who targets married men and a married man who targets single gay men are both predatory driven by ungentlemanly motives. A gentleman must assume it is not allright to become an accessory in the violation of a married man’s vows and verbal/nonverbal covenant with his partner. There is a difference between a premeditated outcome and happenstance. When the latter occurs a gentleman has time to reason his way out of trouble. However the former scenario rather finds him in its pursuit. The lesson is that we will not always mind our superego and we will potentially fail to act as a gentleman at some point. It is the heavier weight of those times when we have lived up to our ideals that should always supercede any guilt. Guilt can either be a crutch allowing us to perpetuate something bad or an inspiration to do better!
Exploring my own philosophical ideals has taught me how difficult it is to live the gentlemanly life. I accept what successes I achieve building upon them as I grow in wisdom. My sacrifices have only implications for me… my spiritual buy-in is not in any way connected to that of any other man. The overlay connecting my personal ethics with other men is how I choose to interact with them. I only judge my actions. My interpretation of the proper application of the gentlemanly arts affects those men to whom my life might serve as an example. Therefore I live as an example to others poised along a similar journey.
I conclude this essay on gentlemanly etiquette advising that it is ungentlemanly to cultivate anything save the most platonic friendship with a married man. A gentleman must honor and respect another mans vows even if that man fails to respect them. A gentleman’s duty is to respect family! A gentleman will never undermine a family in fact it is his responsibility to help to strengthen it should he find weaknesses. Raise this simple virtue as a toast celebrating sex and the single man!
CHEERS!
Written by BIGDADDY BLUES
































