he is not her father
mild disinterest
morphing into
distant distain
he is not her brother
life-of-the-party
until challenged
then brutal rage
he is not her first
muscled eye candy
sugar tongued
and roving eyes
no, he is none of these
so why is it
when he pulls her close,
says kind, beautiful things,
is attentive and thoughtful,
she already has
an exit strategy?
