man who came after

i’m confounded by it
this ability i have retained
to give a shit about you
in spite of reason
and bloody war

perhaps once a woman’s heart
loves a thing
there is no convenient means of erasing it
as we are wired to love
forever and unconditionally
as mothers

or maybe it’s just that i’m accustomed
to loving broken men

my father
the first
and the model
for every man who came after

but don’t get sappy honey
i still know what you are