You Don'T Prove Yourself A Man Poem by Francis Duggan

You don't prove yourself a man by going off to war
To fight a fight not your's in a city afar
Against people you've never met or that you will never know
Why should one wish to make of a stranger a foe?

You do not prove yourself a man by knocking someone to the ground
Those who try to prove a point with their fists their match has always found
Doesn't matter how big you are your match you are bound to meet
Even one smaller than you may knock you off your feet.

You do not prove yourself a man by being the best footballer on your street
If the praise of others go to your head and you feel full of conceit
That's not what manhood is about despite what some think or say
A good mature man is down to earth and helpful in his own quiet way.

You prove yourself a man by being helpful and kind
In the mind of the good man compassion you will find
He does not wish to be the most admired one in the town
And he has never been known for to knock another down.