Butterscotch
Smooth java
In a cup.

Fills the air
But mostly
Tastes sweet.

Lightly here
On the tongue
Pleasure paired.

In the mind of the world wide web, where false realities are perceived as certainties, my son received an education not of life, but fake lessons.
To correct the course, I turned to him and declared,
Real men don’t threaten or hit women
Real men acknowledge their faults
Real men don’t keep blaming others
Real men accept their partners as equals
Real men don’t belittle women
Real men trust
Real men don’t impose their will on others
Real men support their partners
Real men don’t take their inadequacies out on others
Real men look after their kids, feed, clothe, ensure they have everything they need
Real men clean up
Real men have their own thoughts
Real men are not influenced by others
Real men teach right from wrong
Real men don’t automatically believe others and what they read, they think critically
Real men stand up for injustice, they are not sheep
Real men don’t belittle their partners to their children in order to curry their favour
Real men accept others, faults and all
Real men accept responsibility for their actions
Real men think and learn
Real men know that no means no
Real men don’t need to prove how hard they are, living on past glories
Real men protect the weak and vulnerable
Real men don’t need to prove their manliness
Real men cry
Real men don’t try to control and manipulate others
Real men accept that others may have differing views
Real men don’t attack others for how they look
Real men are comfortable in their own skin
Real men lead
Real men love
If you can do all these then you will be a man my son.

I sat by the fountain,
watching the sun play out
the last moments of summer
in the company of young and old,
each of us attracted to its laughter.

And a voice spoke out
of a corner of this retreated peace

"It's the end of something.
At least the start
of something ending.
It's the end of many things
that you've grown accustomed to,
that have grown around you
and within you - rooted.
And so you may wonder -
- will the roots simply die from neglect?
(Has that dying already begun
from past neglect? Discuss.)
Or will you have to find the will
to uproot them?
- will the pain be worth the excavation?
- will the freeing of them better free you?
Or will you one day be grateful
for the remains of what was?

"So, for now, carry the remains.
Carry the scars and the stains.
Walk with confidence through this ending."

I listened to the voice in the quiet.
And sat with the fountain a while longer.
Knowing I'll find the decision sooner
or later. For tomorrow, it was September.

Go ahead and love
Go ahead and give a hug
Share a smile
These things last awhile

the faith unknown................
what was stolen must be returned ..............