This is how much faith we have
of course we do not think it's all men
fuck, if we did, do you imagine we'd be here now
opening our doors to the plumbers or the taxi cabs
hugging our fathers and our uncles
letting kids play in the parks
attending classes with male students and male teachers
inviting boy friends round for dinner
dating strangers, getting married or divorcing
giving birth to baby boys we sing to sleep each night
with lungs full of lullabies -- if we actually thought,
yep, every single man, do you think we'd be so stupid
to live amongst them in clothing made of cotton,
bother nursing them in sickness, donating kidneys
in such unequal numbers, attend protests for their protection
visit gravestones every month to place fresh flowers
cut at angles to absorb the water best,
walk down streets clutching only tiny keys for safety
in the hope, that despite the news we all hear
every single day, that this man will probably be great
from Virgin (2026) published by Little, Brown UK.