I
Am A Man
I
am a man.
I
am a man who stands tall as my respect of self,
Whose
sense of who I am hinges not on others' evaluations,
swinging
wide, open-shut, from highest praise to low derision,
shifting
like sands blown by the winds of popular opinion,
No; for
I stand as strong as I believe in my self,
as I
believe in my values and my value,
in all
of my best capabilities and intentions for this world,
in my
inherent worth and dignity as the human being that I am.
I am
not afraid to rely on others, to lean on them
when
times are tough or I am overcome and overwhelmed
with
the challenges and pain that are part and parcel of the business
of
truly living.
But I
am ever-ready to hold myself up,
To
stand tall on my own two feet
with a
helping hand or a firm-strong shoulder
propping
others up in turn.
I am a
man.
I am a
man who is there for others,
Whose
existence is not that of an isolated island in the yawning sea,
But
rather a tree in the forest, an aspen grove,
individual,
distinct, yet reaching out to others, branches and roots
holding
one another up as they form an interdependent network
of
mutual reliance.
And so
when others call on me, I answer;
And
when the cry goes out for help, I respond.
And
when I make promises I keep those promises,
For the
promises I make uphold my own spirit,
and my
spirit's wholeness is my bond.
I take
special care to ensure
that
those whom I love are provided for,
And I
defend them fiercely in any way needed
like
that proverbial mother bear for her cub.
So just
ask me and I will be there for you,
And I
trust that you will be there for me too.
I am a
man.
I am a
man who is brave with my emotions,
Who is
not afraid to smile, laugh, and cry,
letting
the feelings of my heart flow
like
rivers to love's ocean
not
damming them up inside:
too
much pressure and the concrete crumbles.
And I
am so confident in my own masculinity
That I
will be “sensitive”, I will be shy
I will
enjoy the deep sharing of love and life,
thoughts
and emotions,
all the
deeper, truer matters of heart and mind
and I
will be richer and stronger for it.
And I
will prance around in makeup, dress, and wig
if I
damn well want too;
For I
know what I have between my legs
and I
don't fear that I'll lose it.
It
would take more than
all the
mocking bandits in the world
for me
to lose my family jewels.
I am a
man.
I am a
man who respects women.
I
respect women because I love women,
And
loving them I appreciate all that they
have
and are and will do
for
others and myself.
I know
that I am
surely
of a woman born
and
that women's hands so often
raise
the children,
heal
the wounds,
and do
the work
that
holds our world together.
I am
not afraid that woman freed
Will
diminish me in brain or brawn or heart;
Believing
in myself, how can belief in others
tear me
down
regardless
of their shape or size or form?
Shared
as equals, their strength builds up my own,
Leaving
us all stronger
than if
singly and alone.
Stronger
women help define
my own
strength as a man.
I am a
man.
I am a
man who does not
fear
the queer,
Belittling
and rejecting
as if
it were the plague
What
man is that who's threatened
by the
love that others choose?
Or the
way they live their bodies
or
their choice of clothes and shoes?
No; I
have confidence in amplitudes
That
what I do is right for me
And
what you do is right for you.
How
could your life or love or style
Subtract
from me my own?
What
you do harms me none; in fact,
I can
go one better:
Your
freedom, to be and live and love
as you
so wish
But
magnifies my own.
For
pride is a soup for all to sup,
and
equality its base.
I am a
man.
I am a
man who loves children,
Who
delights in nurturing them,
holding
them,
protecting
them,
and
teaching them, by word and by deed
how to
hold themselves in high regard
and
follow their own path.
For
this is the greatest sign of a great one
And the
truest legacy:
That
one has touched those who carry on, left one's mark,
without
preventing them going their own way
Like a
hundred scattered seeds
taking
root in every diverse soil
forming
new shapes, sprouting new flower and fruit
from
the germ of wisdom and strength you have endowed.
Tend
them well.
I am
strong and I am vulnerable.
I am
connected, individual.
I am
exemplary yet equal.
I am
sensitive, resolved.
I am
all of these things
And I
am a man.
