boys... girls...

Boys, men
are great
wonderful
to be desired
to be loved
cherished
educated

They do need to learn to
make lots of money
smoke
drink

They should
always be strong
tough
in control
have life figured out

They should
never cry
share from the heart
admit weakness
(although these are allowed to 'leak out' now and again when drunk)

Oh, and don't forget
they have needs
that must be satisfied
 

Girls, women
are not so important
not worth educating
a waste of time
and money
after all, they'll marry into someone else's family

Girls can
be emotional
cry
rant
after all, they're weak

Girls are
not valuable
not desirable
except for sex
(informed consent? who cares!)
and birthing boys

They are
trash
can be
thrown away
given away
killed
before or after they are born

Some actually live out this extreme thinking
some live close, but not to the extreme
thankfully many live the opposite of this thinking
yet I suspect we are all affected
our thinking has been altered, shaped

Broken we are
scarred
wounded
and everyone suffers


Pondering many stories ... after hearing about one--a girl, given away, then returned when she was ill, and given, and returned, and returned for good eventually, after they had their own child, a boy. Given away originally, because she was the second girl, and they wanted a boy. Related: Scars