I don’t know how to respond,

perhaps you are having

one of those bad days

in which the world can go to Hell,

or is it just a portion, a half,

fifty percent

that you would see burn, break it down

to the man

you despise

and the assertion

that no man is capable of true emotion;

I don’t know how to respond,

not because I am devoid of feeling

or lack empathy, I just don’t

want the argument to escalate

further as you march

into a corner

and won’t allow anyone to hold

your hand.

Ian D. Hall 2017