MEN DON'T CRY

Onyi Okadike 1972 (Abakiliki)



Beyond the facade of steel
Of strength foretold
The confidence of daylight in its glory
In splendour radiates

In the face of the broad smiles
The rays of sunlight a promise
Gloom of storm a distant threat
In his presence peace we find

But inside he bleeds
Tempest of the seas made flesh
Of raging storms and wild battles
The battle of the brave

The war within, he must hide
The battles scars, in silence he bears
A man should not cry, they say
Gnashing of teeth to the rescue

Oh man, thou shalt not abide in tears
Lest, your mortal subjects flounder in fear
For in steel thou art borne
In pain, thou redeemed

About this poem

In most African societies, men are not expected to show outward signs of grief nor cry. They are expected to suck it up and show manliness and leadership, lest they worsen the pain of women and children. But a man is made up of flesh and blood. He feels pain and heartbreak just like every other being. In his attempt to conform to social expectations, he builds a wall of steel around his heart which ultimately does not augur well for anyone.

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Written on July 29, 2022

Submitted by Onyiokadike on July 29, 2022

Modified on March 05, 2023

39 sec read
12

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXX XXXX XXXX XAXX AXXX
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 624
Words 131
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Onyi Okadike

Onyi Okadike is a graduate of History/Political Science (Combined Honours) from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He is a first-time writer with a large catalog of unpublished books. He enjoys Sales and Marketing and has, over the years, built an enviable career in the FMCG sector that cuts across several industries; pan Nigeria and in the West African sub-region. He hails from Imo State, Nigeria, and is married with three children. He can be reached at onyiokadike@gmail.com more…

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