It’s Tradition

It’s tradition

to argue with the best men you know

about manners versus safety

It’s tradition

for them to be offended

that non-men who don’t know them

would avoid them, be rude

It’s tradition

for them to say Not All Men

and “forget” to recognize Too Many Men

It’s tradition

for non-men who are strangers

to still watch out for each other

at the club

on the streets

It’s tradition

for men to not know how many of us carry

knives

tasers

mace

guns

only for protection

because we know too many stories

It’s tradition

for men to never know any assaulters

while the rest of us to know too many

It’s tradition

for us to have knowing glances

when we confess the sins of others on our bodies

to know each other more intimately

in a way we wish we didn’t

It’s tradition

to get quiet when they argue against us

even knowing about our rapes

molestations

assaults

threats against

So yeah

we’re gonna be rude

when we don’t know you

regardless of who you ARE

because we don’t know what you could BE