SPOKEN WORD : She’s fly like a butterfly, but got nothin’ on me.

I’ll admit she’s beautiful, but what’d she need more beauty for? She’s precious like a gem, and wants more diamonds on her hands. She wants them chains, those necklaces, now she’s really got the best of ya (and your bank account, you’re now startin to frown about that). She’s into fashion, shirts flashin’, tight jeans she barely fits in, and rings and things and new editions. She’s into shoes with the high heels, all stilettos; never Ugg boots, and now she really wants some gladiators.

You look into your wallet, piggy bank, ATM. You can’t find anything ‘cause this girl takes all you spend. You bring the money in, she counts your money, and you never see it again. But the next day she got a new ‘do, she got some new shoes, and now so much to do. So many appointments—hair salons, day spas—she got new lingerie, used all the gas up in your car.

I’m just here, sittin’ on the stoop, witnessing what it is she do; watching what you’re gonna do. You give in without a fight, she takes your car for the night, you walk out the house and slump next to me for advice.

“What should I do,” you ask. ”She’s got me trippin. Not in the good way, but now I’m slippin’. I’m going in the red, money’s getting drafted. If I do this,” you ask, “what’ll happen after?”

I sit and think a while for an answer to say to you. This was all in a second, but I replied with the truth. I won’t say it just now, but I’ll tell you what I think. (Don’t give me a pennies for these thoughts though ‘cause you’ve gotta save up, bro!)

I’ll be here for you, like I’ve always been. See this stoop here? It’s like our foundation. When we were five, we’d sit on these steps, eat ice cream every day, and the days after the next. We’d call each other on house phones, eventually text each other goodnight 'cause we only had each other to cherish as our parents both abandoned us and left us to perish.

We’ve been all that we’ve had, since we shared our things from a tape recorder, up to a Walkman, but since you’ve got that new girl, you’ve been sharin’ your iPods and Zunes with her. Am I jealous, of course, because what 'we' had easily transfigured into 'yours and hers'. And what we had, as cliche as it sounds, was out of this world.

You were the man from Mars, and I was down-to-Earth, until this new chick got all in it so I returned to Venus. Now we’ve been two planets away, I’m closer to the sun and I got heated when you told me that Earth was the one. I got juped.

When you turned to Saturn you had one too many rings, so you gave one to her and you became Uranus. I got a fever when I heard, mercury levels high. You moved more out of my space, more into the sky, moved to Pluto and then you were invisible. You turned cold. You didn’t exist. I failed to acknowledge you, put you out in the mist to prevent my misery, you didn’t know how much you meant to me but we were already light years apart.

But now we’re here, a light shining over us, tears gleaming on your cheek about how much your life is fucked, ‘cause she put you in debt.

But debt—that’s a risk you take when you bet with a ring, babe.

I don’t think you ever understood how much value I was. I didn’t even know but I knew I was more than her ‘cause the only gem I want is us—we’re two diamonds in the rough. The only chain I need is the one that connects you to me and don’t care much ‘bout fashion, but I want to wear a ring you'd give me out of love and care and honesty. The only jeans I’d want from you are our genes making up a child, as far-fetched as it seems. Shoes, don’t need any high heels because I’d already feel taller with you back in my life. The only other shoes I’d want to fit in other than mine are yours so I can take a walk in your shoes and understand you, ‘cause it’s only when I do that I’ll understand your truths.

“What should I do,” you ask. ”She’s got me trippin. Not in the good way, but now I’m slippin’. I’m going in the red, money’s getting drafted. If I do this,” you ask, “what’ll happen after?”

The truth?

I’ll be here for you.