The women come around

from time to time

like cats of the night

on the prowl

with wetted lips and sandpaper tongues

that can take the flesh right off

without using their teeth.

The male who knows this

has a healthy respect for their affection

and he doesn’t trade his male-ness

for their attention

He accepts their love, for what it is

a sign of his virility

they want his advice, his calm voice, his manner of not caring, while getting things done

the cats are all scared, and they like the man who doesn’t move

until he does,

they scatter

quickly turning around

wanting to be fed, by instinct.

The man has no worries

inside his perfect days

He is passionate, with enormous impulses

Restrained

Sublimated and Contained

Not emasculated, like most moral men

the cats of the night

know this

and purrr

they want to curl-up

inside his bed,

feeling, his warm air

leaving his lungs.

The man loves the cats of the night

but he also loves to sleep alone

Most religions

frighten men

with outcast status

but when he loves it

and he loves the cats of the night

he is worse than a dog in the moonlight

because, he obeys his nature

and he doesn’t follow written rules.

People in positions of power

recognize

the real thing

and it’s more frightening to them

than all the cats of the night

staring at the moon, in the moonlight

with the dog

that howls for home.

Women are terrified of scared men with power

and they should be.

The dog

shunned, and alone

walks home

to find new cats

of the night

to love.