Insult

What's the worst thing to call a man?

A girl.

He talks like a girl.

A girl with brilliant speech,

Brilliant as the diamonds 'round her neck,

Brilliant as the jewels on her eyes,

Brilliant as the trails she leaves,

Though a little girl isn’t supposed to make a difference.

He loves like a girl.

A girl with a valuable heart,

Valuable as the patched shirt on her back,

Valuable as the old sneakers on her feet,

Valuable as the love she gives,

Though she's always been taken from.

He drinks like a girl.

A girl with a burning throat,

Burning as the leers in the bar,

Burning as the confident smirk and wink,

Burning as the free drink past her lips,

Though the same liquid condemns her, and excuses him.  

He looks like a girl.

A girl with ragged eyes,

Ragged as her short shorn locks,

Ragged as her baggy blue jeans,

Ragged as her rebellious wardrobe,

Though society tells her to wear skirts and frills.

He fights like a girl.

A girl with sharp sharp eyeliner,

Sharp as her blood red smile,

Sharp as her strappy stiletto heels,

Sharp as the black and blue she leaves,

Though the black and blue rings her own wrist.

Don’t be a girl, they say.

Don’t hide strength under tender skin,

Don’t hide gentleness under tough leather,

Don’t hide curses under sweet agreements,

Don’t be a girl.

So what’s the greatest insult to a man?

What’s the worst thing to call him?

A girl.

So a man insulted by being called a girl,

can continue to be called a man.