I don’t need to be warned about teenage boys
If there’s a stereotype out there, I’ve heard it.
“You love me, don’t you? Then show me,”
They say, with that hungry gleam in their eye.
Oh, that gleam, that deceitful gleam
Gives a glimpse of what they truly are.
They are ravage, starving, raging beasts
Foaming at the mouth with testosterone and lust
Mercilessly preying on young, innocent girls,
Hunting in the shadows until they get the prize.
The prize! That “one thing” people say they’re all after
When they finally get it, they discard the rest.
They’re unreliable, unworthy, untrustworthy-
But I trust you.
To every stereotype, there are exceptions
And you are everything, except a beast
Unlike a beast, you seek something else
Instead of hunting prey, your prize is God.
You seek Him even in the darkest places.
His intentions, heart, will, face, and work
It seems that when you find Him, I do, too.
Not only out in the world, but inside of you.
You radiate His light like rays from the sun.
The warmth reaches others, and they see God in you, too.
Your peers admire, respect and esteem you
But your humility outshines your praise.
I know you’re more than just humble,
You’re a man of honor and integrity as well.
Resisting temptation is never easy.
College is teeming with unbridled vice.
In the face of such enticement, you’ve never given in
The same way you’ve never given up on me.
Three whole years now we’ve been dating,
Through just about every up and down imaginable
Even through my parent’s divorce.
You never got tired of hearing my frustration
The angst, anguish, anger, and anxiety I experienced
You endured right along with me without a complaint.
When I was in need you took care of me,
Never asking for one single thing in return.
And when I cried, you always consoled me
I know that I’ll never be able to repay
The debt that I surely owe you.
True love doesn’t exist, I’m so frequently told
Between dumb, clueless teenage kids.
But I know that deep down I do love you
Because I respect the man you’ve become.
You’re not a predatory beast set on the kill
Instead, you’re my hero and my idol.
There’s no stereotype for that.