Men Must Not Cry Poem by Thomas Phelps

The chapel was full, like never before.
They crammed inside and looked at the floor.
Of course you know the reason why,
Because in our culture, men must not cry.

Oh, they can laugh and joke and swear
And drink and fight and dye their hair
And though I know no reason why,
It seems it's wrong for men to cry.

But a friend had gone for ever that day
And though there are lots of words we could say,
Nothing could change the unfair fact
That a man had gone and could not come back.

The women could sit and the women could sob,
They knew him as neighbours, or through his job
And the men could shake their heads and sigh,
But that is all, for men must not cry.