A Man's Lot

A man's lot is not for a woman to bear, A man's lot is not for a woman to replace, A man's lot is not for a woman to excuse, A man's lot is not for a woman to direct, A man's lot is not for a woman to belittle, A man's lot is not for a woman to cling to, A man's lot is not for a woman to pigeonhole. A woman's lot is not for a man to own, A woman's lot is not for a man to decide, A woman's lot is not for a man to discourage, A woman's lot is not for a man to define, A woman's lot is not for a man to pity, A woman's lot is not for a man to despise, A woman's lot is not for a man to fear. Nor is it a man or a woman's job to to dictate, What these lots mean to any one man or woman. The only thing that should define either role, Is respect for a choice made freely and willingly, Without coercion or lack of opportunity, With passion and love the driving force. Will making fifty/fifty calls, For women and Men without passion, Or love of the choice made in their name, That makes men ashamed to be men, And women ashamed to be women, Really be the path to a just society. Can we not look to the great women of the past, Who let passion and love, Be their guide when mountains had to be climbed, Men had to be convinced, And social norms ignored. These trail blazers who were not ashamed of their sex, Who fought not to take over but to stand alongside on equal footing. Will we ever understand that equality equals opportunity? Opportunity equals progress, Progress equals commitment, Commitment equals Love, respect, passion, understanding, Understanding equals lack of shame or guilt about a choice, We should all be free to make by and for ourselves. Only when we have learned the meaning of these words can we Hope to one day reach the top of the mountain, And see what grows where Love and Passion alone, Are the driving force.