They Told Him To Be A Man
Being a man doesn’t mean being unbreakable.
“Men don’t cry.”
They told him young.
So he learned to swallow the lump in his throat
like it was nothing but air.
“Men don’t break.”
They said it firm.
So he held his breath through every storm,
made his spine an iron rod,
even when it hurt to stand.
“Men don’t talk.”
They warned him twice.
So he sat in silence,
choking on words too heavy to carry,
but too dangerous to release.
And when he finally whispered,
“I’m tired.”
They said, “Man up.”
When he finally admitted,
“I don’t know how much more I can take.”
They laughed— “You’re fine.”
When his hands shook from the weight of it all,
they called it weakness
instead of a lifetime of holding too much.
But listen—
MEN cry.
MEN break.
MEN get tired.
MEN suffer, too.
So if you’re carrying more than you should,
if your chest feels too tight with words left unsaid,
if you’re screaming in silence—
I hear you.
I see you.
I’m proud of you.
About the Creator
Olayinka Atiyeye
Poet. Soft chaos. Professional heartbreaker (on paper). I write the kind of lines that haunt you a little, in the best way. If you like your feelings in stanza form, you’re in the right place.
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Comments (1)
Society told men to be strong, but strength isn’t silence. If you’re struggling, your feelings are valid. If you know someone who needs to hear this, share it with them. When was the last time you checked in on the men in your life?