Love Song to Men

This is my love song to men.
And men who identify as men.

Not men who pose, snap pictures of you,
then drop you in gutters to drown
in waters they pour from the rooftop. 

Not men who extend a giant hand
only to turn around and hit you with it
in places where the bruises won’t show.

Not men whose wrinkles and advancing age
should equal a certain wisdom,
but let’s face it – some people never are wise.

Not men who rub your shoulders in public,
claim you are something you’re not,
then skip off giggling like some junior high boy.

Not men who wear serious faces, nod like
they’re listening, only to do the exact opposite 
and blame you when things go awry.

Not men who pretend to be mentors 
so they can stroke their own egos to orgasm
then claim, “I made her what she is.”

Not men who talk over everyone without 
offering a moment to breathe then audaciously
say in a crowded room, “Let’s not overthink this.”

Not men who learn everything about you,
like the times you erroneously thought you were wrong, 
so they could use it against you. 

No, this is for strong men who laughed at Barbie 
because patriarchy is stupid 
and they do not ascribe to the nonsense.

This is for sensitive men who cry over music
and openly say, “This moved me,” because 
art and song aren’t for weaklings. 

This is for men who befriend a woman, not because 
they feel bad, but because they are real enough 
to see her, even if they don’t always understand her.

The men who ask you how you are and truly want to know,
because they aren’t asking just for the sake of filling conversation, 
and if you need to have coffee talk, they’re there.

The men who engage you in interesting discussion and value
what you have to say, who listen because your words
and experiences are just as valid as theirs.

The men who can hug you without feeling you up
because they know you are more than a pair of tits
and sometimes, they can set their penis aside. 

The men who help you laugh at the absurdity of life
when laughter is all you might have left, and good god, 
will someone please just show me pictures of kittens?

The men who check on you because they know you are fragile
the way the world has wracked you, and they don’t want you
ever to end your precious life because you felt alone. 

The men who defend a woman, not by flexing their guns and pecs, 
but by standing beside her with stories and words, 
because they know what it is to have suffered.

The men who wield power, not for themselves, but for the sake
of the other and know, in their very softest heart of hearts,
they can’t please everyone, but surely they can do the right thing. 

This is my love song to those men.
The world needs more of you. 
  
Copyright March 1, 2024, Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, all rights reserved