And the Brothers wonder! How does a single woman live in a man's world with a woman's needs? How does she stay soft when life gets so hard? When the car breaks down, the grass needs mowing, the bills unpaid and her boss is demanding 60 hours in a 40 hour week and a little play on the side? When she is the man of the house, the landlord and mate to herself all at the same time, The Brothers wonder why sistah's ain't soft? Sexual harassment? Forget it! Because hard as it is, at least he remembers she's female. Hell, if he paid her no attention, she is mad about that, AFTER ALL, I AM A WOMAN! But don't dare complain, because then you're not 'competitive'. Courtship? That's for kids, or so it seems. A fairy tale right out of a child's storybook! Cinderella didn't have to wash no car, and Sleeping Beauty didn't have the Tax Collector ringing her phone, either. "Baby, can you get with this?" He says. "Nah brother, can you get with this?" And the brothers wonder why WE make booty calls. True enough, nice restaurants are fine, a movie now and then is OK, too. But a sistah that works as hard as I do is USED to taking herself out (because she's too busy to cook). As a matter of fact, I'll take YOU out just for company. But then, ya gotta go, cause I got a get up early in the morning and take out the trash before I go to work. And the Brothers wonder why their 'rap' don't stick..... Attitude? Who me? Bah..., what cha' got for a headache? See, we need a stress reliever too! And pretty words isn't medicine, just ointment. Where are the real men? Men that are not intimidated by responsibility, or a strong woman whose not living in public housing  trying to get a handout? Not afraid of a woman, that needs to BE A WOMAN, loved like a woman, treated like a woman but willing to work like a man WITH her man in order to build something that will last? A man who is not looking for a low maintenance ride? And what really trips me out, is the brother's that think we got it goin' on and don't need anything but sex, because we pay our own way. Just because we work like men, don't make us men. We were just taught not to wait on Prince Charming. Maybe they are afraid of the next level. HELLO? Its called survival. And its not all games. Games end in a few hours, life is twenty four seven.  You know, I've never liked fast food, but I have been known to eat a burger in a hurry, if I'm hungry to tide me over.  And the brothers wonder, why we're not impressed. Sex? Maybe. And then what? Ok. It's good. Whatevah! Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, SOMEBODY is trying to get in her draws.  Makes you wanna slap somebody, because you know they are not bringing anything to the table but about 2 hours (if you're lucky) of a feeling and that's it. And she's supposed to be flattered!  And the sad part is, She knows she needs some, too.  Yeah, I am ticked about now, cause, see, I didn't burn a single bra. Didn't march one time, but I'm in the game anyway. You set the rules, I play to win. And the Brothers Wonder..... RAWESSENCE Copyright 2002, RawEssence aka Lisa Lawrence-Hudson