1.21 things I want in a lover
Do you derive joy when someone else succeeds？
Do you not play dirty when engaged in competition？
Do you have a big intellectual capacity？
But know that it alone does no equate wisdom？
Do you see everything as an illusion
But enjoy it even though you are not of it？
Are you both masculine and feminine？
Politically aware？ And don't believe in capital punishment？
These are 21 things that I want in a lover
Not necessarily needs but qualities that I prefer
Do you derive joy from diving in？
And seeing that loving someone can actually feel like freedom？
Are you funny？ a la self-deprecating？
like adventure？ and have many formed opinions？
these are 21 things that i want in a lover
not necessarily needs but qualities that i prefer
i figure i can describe it since i have a choice in the matter
these are 21 things i choose to choose in a lover
I'm in no hurry i could wait forever
I'm in no rush cuz i like being solo
there are no worries and certainly no pressure
in the meantime i'll live like there's no tomorrow
are you uninhibited in bed？ more than three times a week
up for being experimental？ are you athletic？
are you thriving in a job that helps your brother？
are you not addicted？
...are you curious and communicative？
2.narcissus
dear momma's boy
I know you've had your butt licked by you mother
I know you've enjoyed all that attention from her
and every woman graced with your presence after
dear narcissus boy
I know you've never really apologized for anything
I know you've never really taken responsibility
I know you've never really listened to a woman
dear me-show boy
I know you're not really into conflict resolution
or seeing both sides of every equation
or having an uninterrupted conversation
and any talk of healthiness
and any talk of connectedness
and any talk of resolving this
leaves you running for the door
(why why do I try to love you
try to love you when you really don't want me to)
dear egotist boy
you've never really had to suffer any consequence
you've never stayed with anyone longer that ten minutes
you'd never understand anyone showing resistance
dear popular boy
I know you're used to getting everything so easily
a stranger to the concept of reciprocity
people honor boys like you in this society
and any talk of selflessness
and any talk of working at this
and any talk of being of service
leaves you running for the door
(why why do I try to help you
try to help you when you really don't want me to)
you go back to the women who will dance the dance
you go back to your friends who will lick your ass
you go back to ignoring all the rest of us
you go back to the center of your universe
dear self-centered boy
I don't know why I still feel affected by you
I've never lasted very long with someone like you
I never did although I have to admit I wanted to
Dear magnetic boy
You've never been with anyone who doesn't take your shit
You've never been with anyone who's dared to call you on it
I wonder how you'd be if someone were to call you on it
And any talk of willingness
And any talk of both feet in
And any talk of commitment
Leaves you running for the door
(why why do I try to change you
try to change you when you really don't want me to)
you go back to the women who will dance the dance
you go back to your friends who will lick your ass
you go back to being so oblivious
you go back to the center of the universe
3.hands clean
if it weren't for your maturity
none of this would have happened
if you weren't so wise beyond your years
I would've been able to control myself
If it weren't for my attention
You wouldn't have been successful and
If it weren't for me
You would never have amounted to very much
Ooh this could be messy
But you don't seem to mind
Ooh don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
Chorus：
We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
You're essentially an employee
And I like you having to depend on me
You're a kind of protégé
And one day you'll say you learned all you know from me
I know you depend on me
Like a young thing would to a guardian
I know you sexualize me
Like a young thing would and I think I like it
Ooh this could get messy
But you don't seem to mind
Ooh don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
Chorus
What part of our history's reinvented and under rug swept？
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget？
What's with this distance it seems so obvious？
Just make sure you don't tell on me
Especially to members of your family
We best keep this to ourselves
And not tell any members of our inner posse
I wish I could tell the world
Cuz you're such a pretty thing when you're done up properly
I might want to marry you one day
If you'd watch that weight and keep your firm body
Ooh this could be messy and
Ooh I don't seem to mind
Ooh don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
4.Flinch
What's it been over a decade？
It still smarts like it was four minutes ago
We only influenced each other totally
We only bruised each other even more so
What are you my blood？ You touch me like you are my blood
What are you my dad？ You affect me like you are my dad
Chorus：
How long can a girl be shackled to you
How long before my dignity is reclaimed
How long can a girl stay haunted by you
Soon I'll grow up and I won't even flinch at your name
Soon I'll grow up and I won't even flinch at your name
Where've you been？ I heard you moved to my city
My brother saw you somewhere downtown
I'd be paralyzed if I ran into you
My tongue would seize up if we were to meet again
What are you my god？ You touch me like you are my god
What are you my twin？ You affect me like you are my twin
Chorus：
How long can a girl be tortured by you
How long before my dignity is reclaimed
How long can a girl stay haunted by you
Soon I'll grow up and I won't even flinch at your name
Soon I'll grow up and I won't even flinch at your name
So here I am one room away from where I know you're standing
A well-intentioned man told me you just walked in
This man knows not of how this information has affected me
But he knows the color of the car I just drove away in
What are you my kin？ You touch me like you are my kin
What are you my air？ You affect me like you are my air
Chorus
5.so unsexy
oh these little rejections how they add up quickly
one small sideways look and I feel so ungood
somewhere along the way
I think I gave you the power to make me feel
The way I thought only my father could
Oh these little rejections how they seem so real to me
One forgotten birthday I'm all but cooked
How these little abandonments
Seem to sting so easily
I'm 13 again am I 13 for good？
I can feel so unsexy for someone so beautiful
So unloved for someone so fine
I can feel so boring for someone so interesting
So ignorant for someone of sound mind
Oh these little protections how they fail to serve me
One forgotten phone call and I'm deflated
Oh these little defenses how they fail to comfort me
You hand pulling away and I'm devastated
When will I stop leaving baby？
When will I stop deserting baby？
When will I start staying with myself？
Oh these little projections how they keep springing from me
I jump my ship as I take it personally
Oh these little rejections how they disappear quickly
The moment I decide not to abandon me
6.precious illusions
you'll rescue me right？
In the exact same way they never did
I'll be happy right？
When your healing powers kick in
You'll complete me right？
Then my life can finally begin
I'll be worthy right？
Only when you realize the gem I am
But this won't work now the way it once did
And I won't keep it up even though I would love to
Once I know who I'm not then I'll know who I am
But I know I won't keep on playing the victim
These precious illusions in my head
Did not let me down when I was defenseless
And parting with them is like
Parting with invisible best friends
This ring will help me yet as will you knight in shining armor
This pill will help me yet as will these boys gone through like
water
But this won't work as will as the way it once did
Cuz I want to decide between survival and bliss
And though I know who I'm not
I still don't know who I am
But I know I won't keep on playing the victim
These precious illusions in my head
Did not let me down when I was a kid
And parting with them is like
Parting with a childhood best friend
I've spent so long firmly looking outside me
I've spent so much time living in survival mode
7.that particular time
my foundation was rocked
my tried and true way to deal was to vanish
my departures were old
I stood in the room shaking in my boots
At that particular time love had challenged me to stay
At that particular moment I knew not to run away again
That particular month I was ready to investigate with you
At that particular time
We thought a break would be good
For four months we sat and vacillated
We thought a small time apart
Would clear up the doubts that were abounding
At that particular time love encouraged me to wait
At that particular moment I help me to be patient
That particular month we needed time to marinate in what us
meant
At that particular time
I've always wanted for you
What you've wanted for yourself
And yet I wanted to save us high water or hell
And I kept on ignoring the ambivalence you felt
And in the meantime I lost myself
I'm sorry I lost myselfI am
You knew you needed more time
Time spent alone with no distraction
You felt you needed to fly
Solo and high to define what you wanted
At that particular time love encouraged me to leave
At that particular moment I knew staying with you meant
deserting me
That particular month was harder than you'd believe
But I still left
At that particular time
8.a man
I am a man as a man I've been told
Bacon is brought to the house in this mold
Born of your bellies I yearn for the Cord
Years I have groveled repentance ignored
And I have been blamed
And I have repented
I'm working my way toward our union mended
I am a man who has grown from a son
Been crucified by enraged women
I am a son who was raised by such men
I'm often reminded of the fools I'm among
And I have been shamed
And I have relented
I'm working my way toward our union mended
And I have been shamed
And I have repented
I'm working my way toward our union mended
We don't fare well with endless reprimands
We don't do well with a life served as a sentence
This won't work well if you're hell bent on your offence
I am a man who understands your reticence
I am a man who still does what he can
To dispel our archaic reputation
I am a man who has heard all he can
Cuz I don't fare well with endless punishment
Cuz I have been blamed and I have repented
I'm working my way toward our union mended
And we have been blamed and we have repented
I'm working my way toward our union mended
9.you owe me nothing in return
I'll give you countless amounts of outright acceptance if you
want it
I will give you encouragement to choose the path that you want
if you need it
You can speak of anger and doubts your fears and freak outs and
I'll hold it
You can share your so-called shame-filled accounts of times
in your life and I won't judge it
And there are no strings attached to it
You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return
You can ask for space for yourself and only yourself and I'll
grant it
You can ask for freedom as well or time to travel and you'll
have it
You can ask to live by yourself or love someone else and I'll
support it
You can ask for anything you want anything at all and I'll
understand it
And there are no strings attached to it
I bet you're wondering when the next payback shoe will
eventually drop
I bet you're wondering when my conditional police will force you
to cough up
I bet you're wondering how far you have now danced your way back
in to debt
This is the only kind of love as I understand it that there
really is
You can express your deepest of truths even
if it means I'll lose you and I'll hear it
You can fall into the abyss on your way to your bliss I'll
empathize with
You can say that you have to skip town to chase your passion and
I'll hear it
You can even hit rock bottom have a midlife crisis and I'll hold
it
And there are no strings attached to it
10.surrendering
you were full and fully capable
you were self sufficient and needless
your house was fully decorated in that sense
you were taken with me to a point
a case of careful what you wish for
but what you knew was enough to begin
and so you called and courted fiercely
so you reached out entirely fearless
and yet you knew of reservation and how it serves
and I salute you for your courage
and I applaud your perseverance
and I embrace you for your faith in the face of adversarial
forces
that I represent
so you were in but not entirely
you were up for this but not totally
you knew how arms length-ing can maintain doubt
and so you fell and you're intact
so you dove in and you're still breathing
so you jumped and you're still flying if not shocked
and I support you in your trusting
and I commend you for your wisdom
and I'm amazed by your surrender in the face of threatening
forces
the I represent
you found creative ways to distance
you hid away from much through humor
your choice of armor was your intellect
and so you felt and you're still here
and so you died and you're still standing
and so you softened and still safely in command
self-protection was in times of true danger
your best defense to mistrust and be wary
surrendering a feat of unequalled measure
and I'm thrilled to let you in
overjoyed to be let in kind
11.utopia
we'd gather around all in a room
fasten our belts engage in dialogue
we'd all slow down rest without guilt
not lie without fear disagree sans jugement
we would stay and respond and expand and include
and allow and forgive and enjoy and evolve
and discem and inquire and accept and admit
and divulge and open and reach out and speak up
chorus：
this is utopia this is my utopia
this is my ideal my end in sight
utopia this is my utopia
this my nirvana
my ultimate
we'd open our arms
we'd all jump in
we'd all coast down into safety nets
we would share and listen and support and welcome
be propelled by passion not invest in outcomes
we would breathe and be charmed and amused by difference
be gentle and make room for every emotion
chorus
we'd provide forums
we'd all speak out
we'd all be heard
we'd all feel seen
we'd rise post-obstacle more defined more defined more grateful
we would heal be humbled and be unstoppable
we'd hold close and let go and know when to do which
we'd release and disarm and stand up and feel safe
chorus
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