If I were a man

 If I were a man,

I think I’d be
more self-centered.
Would that make me feel
better?
Liberated?

Would I stop
caring for others—
just care for myself?

Is it because I'm a woman
that I care too much?
That I cling to order,
to the weight of everything?

If I were a man,
would I feel less stressed?
Would I look at beautiful women,
sip a drink without guilt,
leave when I please,
untethered?

If so—
then maybe,
just maybe,
I'm better off
as a woman.

Because I care.
I stay.
Even when it’s hard,
I hold it all—
so that everything
stays in place.