Be A Man Poem by Mpho Petrus Manwedi

I was yanked from my mother’s womb
Pushed into this world
Without a choice
Slapped on my behind
Without dignity and told,
Go out there and be a man

I was given toy cars and guns to play with
Thrown into this rough and tumble playground
Nobody cared for the boy inside
Nobody ever took note of him
When I came home crying to Mama,
Mama would say, son, men do not cry
Go out there and be a man

I went to school to learn
Not to give but to take
Not to love but to hate
The schoolyard was a jungle
Survival of the fittest was the order
The teacher would always say
When you came complaining
This is a man’s world
Go out there and be a man.

Today I have a woman
Wants to be hugged and loved
Showered with tender words and kisses
But I don’t know about that
I never had me a doll to coo and cuddle
All I ever had were toys of destruction
And the tender words of guidance
Go out there and be a man.