beasts

there’s a reason
these myths exist. Circe
and the swine, Beauty
and the Beast, Red
and the wolf. men
see themselves as beasts
when they act on their
animal instincts.
they see women
as the humans, who
have the power
to set you free
from your cages
of flesh, if only
we would take pity
on you and see beyond
your rude forms
and beastly behavior
to the suffering men
trapped inside.

and we do.
over and over again,
we see you there –
the man-soul looking out
through your eyes
like a gorilla
in the zoo – and we
feel all the empathy
in the world for you,
our hearts break every day
on your behalf, and so
we let you get away
with monstrous things,
hoping against hope
that this time
will be different.

but.

all these myths
also contain a lesson
that no one ever
comes right out and says:
the power to change
was within you
all along. only you
can really free yourselves
if you give up the need
to indulge your lowest animal
instincts, and take us off
this pedestal.