When Boys Begin To Think Poem by Elliot Moore Ahiator

When boys begin to think as men;

and maturity becomes more than a game.

When hard decisions leave a sour taste

yet take you must, however unpleasant.

When a mother's smothering

becomes no more than a necessary nuisance;

needed, yet a nuisance all the same.


When alone you must walk,

cold and in strange haven;

and among the unknown you must abide.

Tank! tank! tank!

Sounds from the forge.


Iron hammer against iron anvil,

in between, must metal succumb will to craftsman's mold

Therein, lies the lesson of life

and understand, a man need's must.

So when boys begin to think as men,

Then shall greatness shine unbid