Men Do Cry Poem by Babatunde Odubanwo

Someone once said to me, Men don't cry.
Tears, why?
It merely betrays the manliness within him, I innocently replied.
Then just yesterday, my friend- Akin had the cleanest
Slap dealt on him by a sentinel at Ikeja barracks
For unlawfully crossing the coloured barricades-
‘Military Zone, keep off'!
My friend refused to heed and paid dearly.
As the grueling palm landed on his left cheek,
Stars danced at his skies and rainbows upon his brow
He felt all at once, a gush of bewilderment and pains.
The reddish weal as testament, if only he could turn the other cheek.
As a baby wanting his mama's breast, he cried and cried.
Men always cry!

Emeka's wife had just turned his nightmare,
Days of emotion exchanged for starry dusk of reject.
His sweat turns crimson flowing in rivers of gall,
Good feelings looked away and love turns sour.
As she turns her back to leave, his faces down in horror
He wept but no crying to heed.
Tears forms the chains and watery affection in repatriation
Flows freely with reddened eyes for quick attention,
He cleans swiftly, sobbing and phlegm in succession.
It hits harder than the shattering of bodies by weapon of mass destruction.
Men do cry!

Tears why?
No! Why shall, shan't I cry?
Am I a baby?
The Old man said cleaning his weepy eyes when the news broke out,
Mama in her eighties rolled across the ground in congratulatory implosion.
He laughs out and tears more as the crowd let out a rousing applause
As his army war returnee son enters in style and gallantry, happiness peaks.
When the Angels' peal is the tune of excitement, men also cry.
They fall clinging still to the infallible ring, they are equally humans.
Men cry when the times are bad and no friends to tell,
In moments when a shoulder to lean on could save our sanity
A voice of comfort to still our dreadfulness, men do cry.
Know that there is hand calling to bear a heavy burden,
Feinting across the room may be worst defence.
As women do, men always cry.