The Man

oh, when will you come down out of your orbit
and stop encircling me?
put away your toothbrush
come down here
on this bed
kiss me
when will you stop standing in the side wings?
come down here
that we may play our respective parts
here in this Shakespearean play
Is this a comedy?
you the man
and I the woman
who opens herself up
to you?
the A*s?
pursue me
to the point of death
Is this a tragedy?
I will not derail you
put away your mask
stand beneath my window and deliver the words
that you fear will take your heart,
your soul
I will not crush you
I will not leave you
with no choice but to pierce
your own flesh
I will not drink of the vile and take
my own life
but instead, I give it to you
stop encircling me
come down here
out of your orbit
and come
and play
the man

Reviews

[.]

playful take on Romeo and Juliet..clever and ingenius use of the Bards inspiration..

[freakoutX]

This is put in a great style, and I love the hints of Romeo and Juliet, yet with a twist of its own, love can be so great, and so, so devastating.
Thank you for sharing.

[SOUL LESS]

Nice...put away the fake mask and hesitation. Play the part that was always meant to be.

[Jim Parson]

Kinda demanding, aren't you? That's okay, I like that in a woman. A clever, intelligent write, Jennifer. Well done!

[Jibey]

I sensed a number of literary allusions, not just an echo of Romeo and Juliet... but I felt the point was that the man was play-acting when he needed to get real... - to 'play the man' (actually said by Hugh Latimer to his friend Nicholas Ridley, as they were both about to be burned as heretics for their teachings and beliefs outside Balliol College, Oxford!). Clearly this is about having the courage of your convictions.

[Moflo]

I like this a lot. The reference to Romeo and Juliet plays out nicely from the tragedy point of view but really one suggestion I have is to include, in the comedy segment of this poem, an allusion to "Midsummer Night's Dream," as it is essentially Romeo and Juliet as a comedy. Otherwise, I really do like where you're headed with this.

[MuSe Ampoule]

With a seductive 'come hither' smile she coaxes her reluctant lover forth. Brilliant, beautiful and sensual work!

[Sweet_pale_cacophony]

I read it like this..when you say 'come down here out of your orbit'..to it means to break down his defences,put down the mask and let you in..so that you can love him for what he is.
I admire your style of writing,you are true to yourself..

[SpokenWord]

Yes I loved this one! A tour around Shakespearean plays that can relate to todays couple. How many times is one disconnected from the other unwilling to open up and let the other in. It is a risk but for those who take the risk the rewards can be grand and for those who don't well are just wasting time and space.

[Robin]

a mans' gotta do, what mans' gotta do ..