There was a study done
to prove that men and women
have different brains
to prove, I suppose, that
women are from venus
and men are from mars,
that men want to fuck
and women want to marry
or some garbage like that
so they had men approach
women on college campuses
and women approach men
and they ask three questions:
would you like to go on a date?
would you like to go back to my room?
and
would you like to spend the night?

and overwhelmingly more men
responded to the last question
with a yes
and overwhelmingly more women
responded with a no

and with this researchers said
clearly men want to spread their seed
and women want monogamy
that we are genetically disposed to differences
that are inherent in our nature
to keep the species moving
forward

but at the end of the day
I think the reason that women
said no
to a stranger asking for sex
isn’t because
they wanted a relationship
or anything more meaningful
but simply because
they didn’t want to be murdered.

Ally Malinenko is the author of the poetry books The Wanting Bone, How To Be An American and Better Luck Next Year as well as the novel This Is Sarah.