I like a guy who likes a girl who reads….

“…what’s more important
What supersedes
Is a girl a with passion, wit and dreams
So I’d like a girl who reads.”

~Mark Grist

At last count, Mark Grist‘s spoken-word poem “Girls Who Read” hit two-million views since it was posted online one month ago.

Some have called it a “feminist anthem” while others diss it for being disingenuous. Sure Grist’s ideal woman isn’t new. He reproduces all the clichés of the sexy librarian — she isn’t just smart, she’s sexy, sweet and perfectly proportioned. How realistic is that?

And yet, I think it’s gone viral for all the right reasons.

It’s refreshing — and somewhat unusual — to see a man so passionately and publicly celebrate women’s intelligence and creativity. As a woman, it makes me feel good about myself to see a fully-dressed women with a book portrayed as attractive. And I like how he gently pokes fun at male peer pressure to think otherwise.

I wouldn’t describe it as a “feminist anthem”, but it was never intended to be. It’s one man’s ode to women — it’s provocative and it speaks from the heart. Isn’t that the best kind of poetry?

Take a look, and let me know what you think.