when women talk
they know they speak the truth
women say men don’t feel
                                    not really
& if you’re lucky enough
to find such rare male fruit
you better squeeze those apples —
              get all the juice
before the dream fades —
then make applesauce with the rest

all men feel

the myth is
lust is the fuel
ambition the engine
driving our dreams

all men feel
but the world teaches us
in repeated painful lessons
to keep the secret
to feel, but not show
to hunger, but not be hungry
to love without caring
to care without sharing

stray from this straight & narrow
& you invite your doom
                                  to be less than
                                  to be used
                                  to end up castrated & confused
crushing your dreams

even women wise & wanting
who may seek this mythical breed
often respond with mule mentality
once in the presence of the steed

caution, suspicion, bitter disbelief
their acid bath of test & trial,
                     a test to destruction,
determining authenticity
a living autopsy
                       “let’s see what makes him tick…”

trusting heart over mind
nearly every time
except when faced with her dream,
unable to accept things are as they seem
trusting her eyes over ears
distrusting belief instead of her fears…

“..but maybe…”

the heart cannot show what it contains
when inspected under glass
the heart is a muscle
whose strength isn’t measured in gyms,
whose size cannot be seen

for a man,
his heart must be the softest diamond
&                     a cloud made of stone

in the maze of contradictions,
in a sea of ache & ecstacy
simple drowning would be a gift

all men feel
their passion held in check

wise women,
when you speak,
discover new truths
cultivate rare fruits
that they may multiply
to sweeten others’ lives

by

jamal
ali

© 1991

in this world of women
the spectrum is vast
yet discernment must peer beyond the packaging
                                  beyond the bedroom
                                  beyond the physical

allure has value
but consciousness supersedes
beauty is compelling
yet wanes with wear
and culture is far more telling

when seeking a companion,
a wife to partner through the strife,
the context of your commitment
is a function of the content of her character,
                    the essence of her being

even greater than integrity,
surpassing the need for truth,
there is the question of fortitude
                             tenacity
                             strength
                             endurance
                             the capacity to resolve problems
                                                 face challenges
                                                 overcome failures and flaws,
                                             to persevere
without folding
without breaking
without companion eruptions of resentment & complaint

these are the characteristics we think of
when we speak of pioneers,
when we contemplate frontiers —
                                            past or present
                                            out in the world
or                                         deep within ourselves

for those of us walking paths unmapped
whose journeys are untracked,
we need companions who can improvise
                                      adapt
                                      persevere,
for whom the exhilaration of self-conquest
surpasses all others

such is the stuff which makes mothers
out of women who simply give birth,
for mothers share this resiliency with the Earth

these women,
these masters of spirit and flesh
       mistresses of magic and mind
these walking miracles are goddesses of a kind —
                                  a rare and special fire
                                  seldom recognized
                                  seldom even desired
for those men
seeking the god within themselves
nothing less is sufficient,
and the blessing of such a companion
is the prize their eyes have always sought
and a catalyst of their own evolution

by

jamal
ali

© 17 november 1999