To Be a Man

To be a man you must be strong.

You must be brave, and kind,

And do no wrong.

To be a man you must work hard.

You must pay the bills, and fix the car,

And clean the yard.

To be a man you must exhaust.

You must keep trying, and trying,

Even though you feel lost.

To be a man you must keep it in.

All your feelings, and all of your sins.

To be a man you must walk the line.

 Be careful what you do and  say,

Your every thought must shine.

Be tough but gentle.

Be kind but mean.

Are you surprised we cause a scene?

When I was a boy, my future was bright.

But now as a man, I can do no right.

I work and I study, I cook and I clean.

No matter how hard I try,

 Nothing is ever quite right.

You don't mean to be mean,

You sure don't mean to yell,

But ladies I gotta say, when you do,

You drive me deeper into my shell.

To be a man you must be strong.

You must be brave, and kind,

And do no wrong.

To be a man you must work hard.

You must pay the bills, and fix the car,

And clean the yard.

When did being a man,

Get to be quite so hard?