Be a Man: a poem

“Hey little one, give us a cuddle goodnight”

Mum whispers gently, turning out the light

There’s warmth in your belly

That cuddle feels right 

Fast forward years, one day you’re out to play,

Try to hug that friend in the exact same way, 

But he pulls back fast, and all he’ll say: 

“Naaaaa man that’s so gayy”

So be a man

Time to try out on a brother then, what you’ve seen other men do

Ones who were older than you 

You watched those men - that’s how you knew

Thought surely they’d know a thing or two

Puff out your chest, you can’t make a mistake

All it is, is extending that arm for a shake

Grab his fingers fast like they’re yours to take

And squeeze them so tightly, so as to make the ground quake

Be a man

Cause that’s the goal right?

To show him your manliness

To show him that you mean business

To show him that you’re the only one that has no weakness

But something’s missing, something you had before

Where’s that warmth gone? Was it really such a flaw?

This shake feels hollow, you need something more

Can’t get a refund now, and give it back to the store

Be a man

Time goes by with that brother, feels like you’ve set the precedent

Just one handshake after another, was this really the intent?

All that’s left are surface chats - you don’t know how to mend

You decide enough’s enough, gonna reach out to that mate

It’s scary though, you wait and you wait and you wait

Maybe time to pick up the phone

Cause the day’s getting late

Silence.

Now there’s just a stone in the ground

And you wanna finally listen but he ain’t making no sound

You finally reach out for that embrace but there’s nobody there

Just silence, just absence, just cold, empty air

Be a man