prosodies

when i "was a woman," i garnered considerable attention –

some unwanted, some critical, some obsessive,

some violent, some worshipful, and some oppressive –

i didn't ask for any of it.

as my gender adapted to changing wants and needs, so

did behavior change toward me.

sometimes better, sometimes worse.

i adjusted accordingly.

a lilt here,

a blush there.

still, too many sorry's.

do you see it eroding?

confidence,

not only for men,

but stolen from girls like

innocence, so that little boys might fly ahead.

now that i'm "a man," i see how i am assumed to be the knower.

i model how i wish this manifested for me as "woman."

i soften my voice, and listen to Others. empowering not stifling,

so that men with power, perceived or not, might follow.