By I’ve been hearing a lot of conversing
and a lot of cursing
about when a person becomes a person
they say personhood is determined by what state you were conceived in
and which constituents think you’re an inconvenience
but I suppose it’s not surprising
we can’t expect to know when it’s alright to take humans out of this world
because we don’t take seriously enough how they get into it
how did we get here
how were these embryos of ethics envisaged
in health class they teach that life can be discarded
as if you accidentally took a piece of fruit
that you didn’t like in the lunch line
curriculums consist of permissions and condoms
sexting, positions, and bondage
abstinence is maybe a footnote
more likely just a punchline
we learn the rules of sexual engagement
from porn, Netflix, and
our most esteemed singers and rappers competing to see who can be the nastiest
we chastise chastity at the altars of Hugh Heffner
and for anyone to offer any objection to this perspective is preposterous
you’re probably already typing a patronizing response to this
it’s okay – I already lost my spot at the cool kids table
look, for just some clumps of cells that have grown
we’re sure good at protecting our cell phones
I guess what we save is what we hold the most precious
sex out of the proper context is just taking from each other
what you can never get back
mutually abusing souls
reducing it to just “consent”
making it so small, so meaningless
treating it like a squeaky swing set
instead of saving up for Disneyland
how much more incredible the reward
to give someone something you can’t register for at Target
you shouldn’t wait because sex is bad
but because it’s the best thing ever
the most momentous transcendentially beautiful thing
two people could ever do
boys I’m talking to you too
conquests of the flesh do not make you more of a man
they just make you another one
don’t tell me it’s impossible
hashtag sexstrike
and don’t tell me about society’s ill-fated quest
to spread the deception that
having a family is an outdated fate worse than death man
it’s been twisted long enough
marriage is not a curse word
marriage is a merger
of hearts and hope
lives and love
faith in the future
a proposal of providence
a pledge and a promise
with proximity and permanence
and a prominence of purpose that you cannot fake, imitate, or simulate
that’s why counterfeit unions will always fall short
we’re not just messing with flesh here
we’re messing with what’s meant to be
a heavenly meshing of body, mind, and spirit
I’m not telling anyone how to live
I’m just telling you what I wish someone would have told me
I’m telling you the lessons they teach you in health class are far less than the whole story
you should question the source
and the conclusions they’ve come to
and as for the wisdom of pop princesses…
well, let’s just say
the promises of promiscuity have never come true
and no contraceptive has ever protected a heart
there’s only one truth
in the end
our reverence for sustaining life
our honor for the womb
what will determine our version
of when a person becomes a person
will be our reverence for how, why, when, and with whom
we create life
