“A play on the term “beast of burden,” which describes an animal that is made to carry heavy loads. This collection reimagines a man as a beast of burden; he is forced to carry the weight of his own masculinity. It serves as a commentary on the many paradoxes that come with maintaining a masculine front. A man is both rowdy and reserved, sexual and prudish, showoffish and aloof. While all of these traits are attributed to the unique complexity of a man, at the end of the day, the man is simply an animal, a beast subject to his own nature.”