Read at 11:43 PM.

Verse 1
I learned how to carry feelings in lowercase,
‘Cause being loud makes you easy to replace.
So I smile through dates like I’ve been here before,
While my chest keeps score I don’t show anymore.
They say “be confident,” but don’t take too much space,
Lead the way, but read every micro-face.
Know what you want, don’t hesitate,
But hesitation’s human — guess that’s my mistake.

I text first.
Then I wait.
Then I pretend I don’t care.
Pride’s just fear
In better clothes.

Hook
Being a man in the dating scene
Means feeling deep but keeping it clean.
Don’t show need, don’t need support,
Be strong, but emotionally fluent and short.
I read between lines that were never sent,
Looking for meaning in silence and hints.

Verse 2
“You’re really nice” — yeah, I’ve heard that before,
Sounds like a compliment, feels like a closed door.
I’m not toxic, mysterious, hard to decode,
Just someone who wants more than a highlight reel mode.
They say “be distant, it makes you desired,”
But I was raised to stay when things get tired.
So I’m present, I’m real, I don’t play pretend,
And somehow that’s where the interest ends.

Hook
Being a man in the dating scene
Means rejection dressed up as routine.
Smile it off, keep moving ahead,
Don’t ask why — just swallow instead.
I got heart on full volume, doubt on repeat,
Act like none of it ever hits me.

Bridge (Spoken Word)
Maybe I’m not broken.
Maybe this game just rewards detachment.
Maybe we’re all scared of people
Who might actually stay.

Final Hook (half-sung)
Being a man in the dating scene
Means bleeding quietly, staying unseen.
But I’ll stay soft in a world that’s cold,
‘Cause someone out there needs honesty, not control.

Outro
Read at 11:43 PM.
No reply.
I put the phone down —
And choose not to harden.

Minimal indie rap/spoken word