a man is a man is a man

i met a man in the spring, in dire need for company 

a man who couldn't see pain beyond his own
foolish me, curious cat, had grace and empathy
i do not know what to believe 
the man i met or the man he used to be

but my mother says men do not change

and back then, i agreed.

how long do i have this music before

i find out a man is a man

no matter how overt they are with their concern 

how careful they are with their desires

how soft they are with their selves

how bitter they are with their past

and how foolish they are with women

and oh, how they lavish 

with the ways the world bends for men

and him, feigning pain and suffering 

for want of the mother's touch from women 

and the bitter irony, 

the laugh of the century,

their desire for love triumphs 6 months,

then 6 days after, 

they desire fresher company 

and, the cruelest secret 

in the pocket of their youth always hides

a woman they tainted

a woman they could not respect 

and when she bit back, willing to fight her

how can i betray the silent voice i know so well

when the man's loudness has once overcome mine,

how can i remain kind and unsuspecting

when i hear her voice 

so familiar because she sings a tune

that has stood the test of time

and her voice

so painful and free

hushed

as she silently screams 

it is mine,

it is mine.