this is for you
My brothers,
Unleash yourselves.
Your fortress is not fooling anyone.
Your foundation on the other side may be crumbling,
Or it may be beautiful.
Either way, let me see it;
And if I find an ugliness that does not belong to you,
Maybe my sisters can show you how to heal yourselves.
In return, you can teach us how to let go sometimes.
This world can be so cruel.
I have witnessed it throw itself on your backs and ask for a ride too many,
Then step aside like a spoiled child as you’ve broken down,
Because you’re not the machine they wanted.
And as their screams split your mind,
You make up for the damage by creating that fortress–even better than a machine–
But instead, it holds you within and no one else.
And as you rise again and fight, you patch your wounds by yourself.
Some of you seem impenetrable, but no wall stands forever.
Whether or not you have gotten used to that isolation,
I can feel you waiting on the other side for liberation.
I can hear your muffled cries as you toil in frustration…
But…the frustration you hide is the softness inside,
And it is waiting for your celebration.
L A N ☥ C A I
About this poem
For the men in our world who were emasculated by everyone else first, and not themselves. Who were told to open up, and then judged in the most belittling ways. Whose minds are torn between the softness we ALL have inside; and the shell cultivated through the exhaustion of having their humanity questioned. To those who took their own lives because the inner chaos caused by outer judgment was too heavy. I have lost friends to this chaos, all because they tried to exist as everyone should. And it tears me apart everyday knowing this pain is prevalent. Since the 1950's, men have been 3-5 times more likely to commit suicide than women. The percentages rise based on the demographic and the cause. No one should have to redeem themself before their life even begins, and it doesn't make sense to hide what is natural. The forced inability of expression breeds an inner chaos that destabilizes everything outside of oneself. But we can tip the world back into place once we stop this ridiculous war between men and the rest of the world. more »
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"this is for you" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/180578/this-is-for-you>.
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