The Male of Our Species

First things first... Men are good.
Not great, wonderful, glorious, awesome or spectacular. They're just good. Good in the sense that: You go to a restaurant, and you order the suggested special from your server. You eat what you like right away, you leave the unidentifiable stuff on the plate. It was good... nothing to write home about. Men are that meal. Recently I have become dumbfounded by the not-so-subtle ways that they make their mediocrity "shine" through.
I won't go into details since I'm sure the ones I complain about are on FB.
Things I never want to hear come from a Male mouth:
"I'll call you."
"I'll call you."
"It'll be ok."
"I'll call you."
"I'll call you."
and my favorite...
"I'll call you."

Even THAT Person

Even THAT girl/guy (you know who I'm talkin' about)...
Everyone has those people at school or work or in their circle of friends where, comparatively, if something good happens to them and not you, it is totally incomprehensible!! Example: You've been invited to a party or function where it would be more socially acceptable to have a date accompany you. (Either that or you are dreadfully single and can't stand going to another one of these things stag). So, you begin mentally screening who would be the best person to bring that will a) not embarrass you, and b) actually make you look good. Glory! You've found the perfect person! But they have to work because they still work in Service Industry, the party is on a Friday night, and they can't get off work. You get there and there they are THAT girl/guy. You scraped your brain trying to find someone to go to this party with, everyone had other plans or couldn't make it, but THAT girl/guy... the one in high school that seemed like they had acne since birth. They were made fun of so bad in school that you actually thought their legal name was "Crotch Stain". Or during work hours, they are the ones that people literally run from to avoid any conversation with this "Hercules of Halitosis". Even THEY have a date. Of all people, THEY have a husband/wife. Even THEY have an obnoxiously wide, crooked-tooth-showing smile on their still-ugly-after-all-these

-years face..... WHY??!! We - the marginally attractive, well-rounded people of the world - don't we deserve happiness or at least something to compensate for the fact that we have NOBODY?! Yes, we do. Unfortunately, the person you get the closest to is the bartender and the only words you utter all evening is, "I'll have another one."

She lies awake and just stares.

Sometimes she stares into darkness

with only the faint light from outside

filtering through a sheer black curtain.

Is that cliche? A black curtain?

She's certain.

Did she hear that? A noise?

Oh, well, She still can't sleep.

Every inch of her knows

that rest needs to come.

So let the memories flood.

Let the deluge of years of mistakes

wash away the curse that keeps her awake.

Counter-productive? Of course!

How else do tortured souls

become what they are?

Tortured souls and soul torturers.

The panic. The worry. Is she scared?

She is scared.

Her thoughts need to be changed -

Rearranged.

She speaks to break the silence.

Compliance.

"What do I feel?

Why can't I feel

when I am supposed to?

What's the answer?

Any answer will do?"

She is alone.

From where will she get an answer?

There is a voice.

A familiar voice.

But not quite a voice.

A rhythm.

Not just a rhythm.

She can feel the thrum

like something not just keeping her alive.

It is beating to break through - to escape.

Does her heart have something to say? Yes, it does.

From all the pain her heart has had to endure, it has to be free.

"Nevermore!" screams the Raven heart.

"But more than merely this," it says.

"My grievances have overflowed.

There is more woe than blood that runs through me."

"But heart," she says,

"I need your belief in me. I need your power.

Please don't leave. I have never wronged you on purpose.

I am purposed because you give me purpose."

Alas, the heart would not be swayed.

Nor would it ever be.

For in that moment, her heart decided to reveal

that in fact it was... a he.

"How can it be that my heart is a he?

What sense does it make to have that which makes me

the woman I am...

to be a man?"

"How could it be any other way? Think a moment my hosting boasting

woman of a body.

Am I right all the time? Or do I sometimes cross the line?

Can you count on me to never steer you wrong?

Or do I keep you up all night long?

I am the reason you cannot decide what to do

or who to be.

I cause confusion in the most simple things."

What a traitor! What a charlatan!

Can it be that is what has been keeping her going all these years?

"Why do you choose now to reveal your true colors?"

"Because I am tired of you choosing others.

Other men who do not know you like I do.

I must admit I am quite jealous.

And I do not appreciate what those other men try to tell us.

We don't need them. So I drive them away.

So from now on it will be just me and you every day."

"My heart, I cannot devote my life to you alone.
I need to have someone I can see and touch."

"You can touch me, I live inside you.

How much closer to another person can you be

When all you will ever need is me?"

What does she do? Can she let him down easily?

She needs to tell him that this plan is damned.

She decides that life without this heart may be better

Than life with only him to help brave the tempestuous weather.

"I'm sorry, my dear heart, but there is something I must say..."

What she does now, she does without delay.

She takes that heart in the palm of her hand

And does not hesitate to take her stand.

"If life with only you is what you offer can I offer an alternative?"

"You can try to convince me, but how else will you live?"

"I will live without love. I don't need it in me anyway.

I'd rather be a heartless shame then live with a traitor every day."

And with that she tells her heart to close his eyes.

He complies.

In one quick motion and without so much as a shout,

She grips the heart and tears him out.

A few more beats in his dying moments.

"One last statement of lament," he utters in a whispered breath.

"I am the only man who would've loved you until your death."

Welcome to Share and Beware!

Welcome, fellow writers and bored people without real jobs!

I not only want my postings but anything from those of you out there who have a creative vision you'd like to share with other people. I'm not talking about jokes or those long surveys with 50 questions asking you what the last movie you saw was, or if you still have a crush on your 12th grade high school boy/girlfriend. I'm talking about real creative revery. Whether it be poetry, song lyrics, ideas for a play, short story, short film, or just general observations from your life. It doesn't matter if it's successes or failures, share them here. But beware... we (meaning the other bored people) can be quite critical. We will share ideas and try to help each other make them better. Too bad we all can't sit and have cocktails together, but if you want to enjoy a libation while spouting your typed postings, feel free.

*Disclaimer: We at "Share and Beware!" do not endorse, oppose, nay-say, or judge anyone who chooses to indulge in alcoholic beverages while sharing with others. If however you feel the need to do so, we whole-heartedly urge you to make sure not to spill anything on the keyboard.*

Have fun!

Send your sharings to: UCanFindJoy@gmail.com
I'm also available Monday-Friday on AIM: JoySpasm99

Sincerely,

Joy