All the King's Men

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Labels are fables
that do not define
Swagger and daggers,
not fancies of mine
Bludgeoned in dungeons,
mistook for a swine
All just because
I was born as a guy

"Swinger!" A ringer
for my gender's sake
Players and haters
rub off their mistakes
"Single, go mingle!"
"Your smile must be fake."
"It's 'cause you're a man!"
Please give me a break!

Tempests, the tempted
go out on the prowl
Hunting the hunted
-- the damsels -- like fowl
Using, abusing
their strength with a scowl
And I, a guy...
should I throw in the towel?

Handsome and then some:
he must be a cad
Silent and private:
intentions are bad
Friendly: he's deadly
in deception clad
This man wasn't raised
that way by his dad!

Yet truly and duly
brothers have erred
Eons of peons,
and casual words
Painted and tainted
the masculine herd
I am just a guy
enlightened and stirred

Paltry, a small tree
of all the King's men
Tepid, intrepid
again and again
Weighted, sedated
no rush to the pen
All things considered
I still am a man

Image and visage
they do not suffice
Meaning, not preening
look into my eyes
Know one for no one
can be that precise
Manhood, there's still good
you must realize

Comments

  1. JucySeptember 14, 2018 at 5:18 PM

    “Handsome and then some:
    he must be a cad
    Silent and private:
    intentions are bad
    Friendly: he's deadly
    in deception clad”

    A victim of stereotypes, casualty of generalizations? Why do people tend to fear (or criticize) what they do not understand?

    (Nice one! 😊)

    ReplyDelete
  2. MichaelSeptember 14, 2018 at 5:23 PM

    #TheStuggleOfBeingAManIsReal

    I get a lot of "he's a guy, therefore he must be like the rest" kind of judgnents from people...
    ...
    ...in church.


    Thanks. Appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MichaelSeptember 14, 2018 at 7:29 PM

    Hahaha

    Vindication will come. 😊

    ReplyDelete

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