men
must be strong.
gentle and manly are not terms that run synonymously.
that pure kind of love i feel for women was reserved for just that
because there is no pure way to love men.
i was scared
scared of the way
they took intimacy’s flesh
and bastardized it
with the rusty blade of masculinity.
so, why do i love that tender curve between his shoulders and his neck?
he himself so soft and sweet
as to make a perfect pink petal’s eyes turn green.
why is it the softness of his stomach,
the empathy in his eyes,
the blush of his cheeks
that make me love him so?
and though i know:
merciless men
have been worshiped for far too long.
yet if he were a lamb, i would follow him like a god
sipping wine from the cup of his hands,
intoxicated by my own romanticism,
longing for a time that does not exist.
so i pray to be afraid again.
Delaney Scheidler is a dual-enrolled senior at Harper Creek High School and Kellogg Community College, both located in Battle Creek, Michigan. She is currently pursuing an associates degree in the arts—and after graduation plans to receive her secondary education degree. This is the first time her work will be published, but beyond writing, she enjoys watching movies, roller skating, doing puzzles, and listening to the Pixies.
The Albion Review 