Reclaiming Masculinity
There are words used to colonize the mind creating chains out of hope tethered to future prisons Boxing in meaning of boy, of man, of father: be strong, be right, be victorious do not yield, do not bleed
Expectations that freeze being into stout appearance, while withering from a half-life in the willful occupation of stolen masculinity, there only to break from the inside in the hidden bones and boughs of unspoken needs echoing in the barren ash heap of the heart
Yet, courage may not be found in pursuit of the dark hidden places but on a more dangerous path to be seen, open, vulnerable visible in the fullness of light
There to bear witness in naked human skin to the union of love and fear birthing boy, man, father standing tall and open reclaiming masculinity; now a beacon of courageous love driven to heal the wounds of distorted visions so that a grove of care rises from the ash heap to reach the fullness of light and to heights only dreamed of in the blustering minds of little big men imprisoned by ideas frozen — out of time
This poem is also an invitation for men to step into the silence and speak up against violence, abuse, and inequality.
