I have struggled as a man, 
to be a man.

To be a man that never cries,
a man that always tries, 
A man compromised.

To be a man that has to hide 
his emotions behind the muscles 
That has to bury his dreams,
lost in the fake hustles. 
To be man that has never lived, 
a man that has never loved,
or been loved. 

A man,
that has been pushed to the limits
by men in power,
A man that been conditioned 
to fight the thorns, 
but has never felt the flowers. 
And hours after hours 
I smile,
just to show the world my strength
as I let the vultures devour 
every tiny corner
of my manly soul. 

I have struggled as a man,
to be a man. 

To be fair, 
I am a victim of the patriarchy too. 
It may come up as a surprise,
but not all of us crave for power,
we are dragged into it,
into this crowded train 
filled with competences. 
Most of us desire normalcy,
a family, 
a brief moment of happiness,
joy. 

I desire nothing but to live,
to be a part of the universe 
and not above it. 
To take all that nature has to give,
and not destroy it. 
To care and to be cared 
To be more than my job,
my accolades, 
my position in society,
my applauses. 

I desire just to be a human. 

A man, 
that doesn't struggle 
to be a man 


© Rr