A Gentleman At Heart

A gentleman at heart, I thought from the start.

You opened the cafe door and turned on the charm, inviting me into the safety of your arms.

Cool spring air in my hair, I tried so very hard not to stare at you, blinking twice and gripping tight at the sight of my dream come true.

A gentleman at heart, you served me à la carte.

Pulling out my chair from across the table, I sat in a trance, lost in your fable.

Over coffee and crossed lines, your eyes met mine. Abelard’s black night against Heloise's stormy waters, as you desperately tried not to become just like your father.

A gentleman at heart, a priceless work of art.

Your gaze kept me safe from the bar’s male vanities, bringing to life my wildest female fantasies.

I placed my card on the cracked wood stained with beer, and you pulled at my sleeve, asking me to come here,

Whispering in my ear that you wanted me so near.

A gentleman at heart, the professed Bonaparte.

Battling for the attention of every woman in my castle, you burned the bridge I built that would otherwise have lasted.

Dreamy and drunk, passed out in the back of the Lyft, you think you’re so chivalrous for not giving me a kiss.

A gentleman at heart till you tore mine apart.

You held out your hand and helped me down the stairs, but left me stranded and scared the second you started to care.

So I slip my velvet pen into my ringless hand and write how you really are just like every other man.

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Kami Steffenauer is a senior in the College studying Anthropology and Women’s & Gender Studies. Fun Fact: Her summer project was watching her sister play The Legend of Zelda: Age of Imprisonment, where she excelled at backseat gaming.