The Gauntlet Poem by Alexander Steen Stewart

What is this gauntlet of a man,
This state of being I must rise to?
I stand before it pale and wan,
What, makes a man of me or you?

I stand before this ancient door,
And look upon my brothers,
Before I cross I must know more,
What makes a man of others?

For some it's strength of body,
For others strength of mind.
Yet these are naught but symbols, gaudy,
Still the answer I must find.

Is manhood based on deeds of valour?
Courage when with death faced?
No, all men must face their deathly pallor,
So I must learn post haste.

What makes a man is not inside,
But something found elsewhere.
This problem's answer cannot hide.
Tis the woman of my prayers.

In The Garden he made she,
Two halves of one made whole.
So man cannot a full man be,
Till woman plays her role.