Two Sides

It is a quiet Sunday afternoon, one I've never had in a long time. I'm seated in front of my computer, contemplating on starting one of the pleadings lined up in my to-do list. But I'm putting it off to spend time with someone, and our talk led to men and women...always two sides, he says.

This statement reminded me of one of my favorite poems, Victor Hugo's Man and Woman*. The title says it all, doesn't it?

Man is the most elevated of creatures; Woman, the most sublime of ideals.
God made for man a throne; for woman, an altar.
The throne exalts, the altar sanctifies.
Man is the brain. Woman, the heart.
The brain creates light; the heart, love. Light engenders. Love resurrects.
Because of reason, Man is strong. Because of tears, Woman is invincible.
Reason is convincing; tears, moving.
Man is capable of all heroism; Woman, of all martyrdom.
Heroism ennobles; martyrdom sublimates.
Man has supremacy; Woman, preference.
Supremacy is strength; preference is the right.
Man is genius; Woman, an angel.
Genius is immeasurable; the angel, undefinable.
The aspiration of Man is supreme glory. The aspiration of Woman is extreme virtue.
Glory creates all that is great; virtue, all that is divine.
Man is a code; Woman, a gospel.
A code corrects; the gospel perfects.
Man thinks. Woman dreams.
To think is to have a worm in the brain; to dream is to have a halo on the brow.
Man is an ocean; Woman, a lake.
The ocean has the adorning pearl; the lake, dazzling poetry.
Man is the flying eagle; Woman, the singing nightingale.
To fly is to conquer space; to sing is to conquer the soul.
Man is the temple; Woman, the shrine.
Before the temple, we discover ourselves; before the shrine, we kneel.
In short, Man is found where the Earth finishes; Woman, where Heaven begins.

*