[Newspoetry] Sexism

[DL Emerick]

I never wanted to be a sexist.
I was bred that way.

I tried hard to ignore the urgings of my breeding,
I would argue that women are in every way man's equal.
I tried to treat any woman as my equal.

Both my first and second wives were brilliant,
as far as intellect goes,
and maybe they were better than I am,
although I too was judged a genius,
so far as measurement goes,
and believe me when I say,
it never goes far enough,
to find the truly brilliant,
it just finds those who are possibly brilliant,
and identifies the many who have no hope thereof.

I was fighting culture,
fighting against my innate beliefs,
fighting for the right of women to be my equal,
and it was insane,  truly.

Deep underneath, I do not think of equality,
not in the sense of equal gifts,
I think ever of the vital differences.
not just between man and woman,
but of between every being and me.

No woman, it is true, is my equal.
But, let me add, no man is my equal, either.

One is sexist if one forgets to add this second clause,
the one that distinguishes me from you,
regardless of our gender.

Oh, and, by the way,
I truly regard myself as superior to all of you,
but I am willing to treat you all as my equals,
anyway, unless you prove yourself otherwise, to me.