You Have To Be A Man

by Lily Greeley

The boy wont be okay—-
cause you’re leading him away
you’re leading him away

Why act like hell
and push him on the rails
you’ll be leading him to graves
you’re leading him to graves

You fish her things away,
and teach the boys to rape
you’re leading them astray
you’re leading them astray

I’ll never be okay—
while beating her’s the way
turning girls to clay
turning them to clay

I’ll never stay,
in my own lane—-
while the men who rule decay
soulless husks aflame

Free the sisters of shallow graves
and the ones who can’t escape
the ones who can’t escape

I can’t stand the way you shame—-
with trauma burned into their veins
can’t redeem the pain
or forget the god damn name

I can’t stand this blame—-
you think it’s all okay
to explain it all away
but that can’t be okay

that can’t be okay

leave the chil-dren, out of—this
leave the mo-ther, tending her own child
leave the sing-le, mending up the strife
even da-ddy, could live a better life

but no, no, no.

Fund a hospital bombing
Or another Latin coup
Don’t worry if she’s dying
Can’t put the world on you

Leave a permanent blotter
A transatlantic tomb
You barely know your own daughter
But you’re smelling her perfume

If you leave a woman, shoot her
Said the alcoholic loon
“Hemingway’s a genius,
no woman should complain,”

Do you hear the things you say?
Marching women to their graves—
laughing all the way,
thinking only bout her frame
how she’s a slut cause she’s got fame

I ask you all again,
why is this okay?
burn it all in flames
the patriarchal reign
hand over the reins
to the ones who know their way

let freedom ring
free from the cling
this imperialist regime
where the dark skinned suffocate
under alabaster drapes
and puppetry in-baked

puppertry in-baked—-