The Letter Wearing Oath

Some say it's time to start over.
But without a moment's hesitation
others are saying
that it's time to reveal
your true colors for once,
to admit which side you're on.

We hear some men say
that their hearts are aglow
in rose & green, others cardinal,
others still bordeaux & silver,
yet others cardinal & straw yellow...
& the list goes on.
But do they truly mean
every word that they said
out of the goodness of their hearts?

It's hard to say; I'm not so sure
sometimes if they meant
a single word that they said all along.
True, they might mean well,
their intentions may be good -
saying the right things & such -
but when the day of reckoning
arrives unexpectedly,
when they must decide whom
their first love really is,
it's anyone's guess
just who those lucky ladies are.

That's right: what then? what then?
At that point in time the masks
which they wore shall come off;
the masquerading will soon be over
for those men who paid nothing
but lip service to their favorite colors
of choice...They were doomed
from the start by living a lie,
not sticking to their corner unswervingly.
They can boast of their prowess
with the bottle & with partying
all they want but the ladies
whom they should've been supporting
actively, with dedication
like none other before or since -
they're not interested in how much
one man can drink,
how many friends & connections he can make
or how much he can live life on the weekends.
What matters is this: to so much wear
the letters of their counterparts,
to guard & wear these colors in good faith,
any man with a heart, a conscience to spare
must earn them in all sincerity.

These letters & these colors won't just fall
into one's lap overnight or by default:
courtesy & respect are two things
which are needed just to prove
one is worthy of donning these letters
to begin with. Keep this in mind, duders:
certain letters don't get worn by just anyone
& with good reason so if you can't
truly show love, respect, appreciation
for your favorite ladies chances are
you won't be decked out like their sweethearts.

For those duders who stuck to their guns,
stayed their own unswerving course
in supporting their favorite ladies,
much love & praises be given to them.
They actually got it right: they know
just how much their counterparts' letters
are truly worth not in meaning alone
but also in value so through thick & thin,
come what may, they wear these letters
& colors boldly: It's not for show,
not for special occasions & it most
certainly is not out of convenience
that you see them all suited up;
it is because they wholeheartedly care
that they have the right to reveal their
respective letters in the first place.
It is because they truly believe
when no others seem to care or give
two hoots about their favorite sorority
that you see them dressed up stylishly,
bearing a mark of recognition
that so many other men wished they
could have (but cannot, that chance
being denied a long time ago).
It is something exclusive,
a sign of distinction that makes some men
stand out above all the others
in more ways than one.

And when all is said & done,
such duders will be left standing,
still the pride & joy
of the respective chapters
whom they've taken the time
& made the effort to represent for an eternity.
What's more, their true colors will remain aglow;
look no further than the letters
on their sleeves to find what side
their hearts are truly on when in doubt.