Be A Man! Poem by Leslie Xavier

Do you know?
Dear friend of mine,
what it takes to be ‘a man’.
Well you don't...

Never hurt and betray me,
for being bare;
and showing you I'm prone,
I could have hid behind the leathered mask,
and would've been ‘a man’, but;
by selling my soul for a few words of praise.

Never hurt and betray me,
for looking to you;
for care amidst strangers.
I could have hid behind my home and walls,
and would've been ‘a man’, but;
by losing myself to the stones grey.

Never hurt and betray me,
for showing you;
I'm weak and can be killed.
I could have hid behind shields of words,
and would've been ‘a man’, but;
by losing the honest smile, that maketh me.

Never hurt and betray me,
for trusting you blind;
and telling my deepest thoughts.
I could have lied and showed a macho self,
and would've been ‘a man’, but;
you would've missed the real me, the loving one.

Never hurt and betray me,
for pleading love;
and telling I'm alone and need some warmth.
I could have shown I'm cared by all,
and would've been ‘a man’, but;
what left would have been a shallow me.

Never hurt and betray me,
for being true to my self,
less of ‘a man’, I agree, in pain.
But one who'll never run, when troubles come.
One who’d never say no, when asked to fight.
One who’d watch your back, and give it all for you.

Oh you don't know what you just said,
I've been ‘a man’, I've done it all.
Believe me you will hate that ‘man’,
Oh I've done it all, you don’t know it dear.