Where should the gentleman walk
as he escorts his lady?

The old wags say it’s
“Gentleman to the curb”
to block the splash from muddy streets,
to protect her from horse hoof spray,
(ever a danger on our streets today).

But in our urban jungle,
now, as yesterday,
there be dark alleys
where goonies lurk
and wierdos and crooks,
waiting to reach out,
to snatch a purse,
to slash a cheek….
So,
the gentleman should
walk on the wild-inside, instead,
(to guard her from the evils of our time).

Sure.

But these days,
the lady has earned a black belt!
She’s armed for her defense
and looks askance
at old fashioned men.
She sees “put-down” not protection
in their shifting from side to side
the way their Fathers taught them.

So,
where should the gentleman walk?

Or,
have we come to the point
(at last!)
where we’ve abandoned the Past?

Where it’s better for him
if he walks on his own
and she is free
to try it alone?