Butterfly 5

by Ashley Antoinette

You require loyalty. What is a man gone do when another skirt enters his space? You require stability. What can he bring to the table to make your life easier? To make your kids’ lives easier? You require honesty. Will he lie to you? Cheat on you? Is he deceitful? Or does he warp reality to fit his narrative? You require dependability. Will a man be there? Will he put other things or people before you? You require opportunity. How can a man elevate you? What he bringing to the table that you don’t have access to? You require transparency. Is a man open to share the hard things? You demand history. Run a man’s past down. What is his trauma? His triggers? Because the things men don’t speak on are the things that make them mistreat you.