The Masculine Man

Sparked by something i read on Facebook. The idea of what men in our world have become.

The masculine man

 

They say he’s a dying breed,

The masculine man.

The ones who protect their wife,

And their children, with a piece

Strapped to their hip.

 

They say there is no longer a place

For the man who refuses to shave his chest,

Grows his beard, and straps on his boots.

The man who provides, the man who protects.

 

Steak eating,

hog killing,

knife carrying,

fight for what’s right,

kind of man.

 

They say he’s dying.

 

Did you hear?

 

The masculinity of men is no longer

The time to defend your wife and children,

Has solemnly come to an end.

 

The example of a good man,

A humble man,

A man his sons will look up to,

And his daughters will strive to find,

Will never be found. Not in a masculine man.

Not in any man. Not anymore.

 

The masculine man has become endangered.

Though, the few that are left, are not safe or protected.

They aren’t free to live life,

Not the way that they do.

It’s change or, get out.

 

I visit that man,

The masculine one.

I ask him what he needs,

I ask him what he wants.

 

And he says to me,

“I don’t want my boots,

Or my steak, or my knife. You can shave

Off my chest and my chin, and my skin.

But please, oh please,

Don’t take away my right

To protect those that I love.”

 

“You’re dying,” I say,

To the masculine man.

“I know,” he says to me.

“The world is changing,

They’ve poached me,

They’ve beaten me,

They’ve almost ended me.”

 

“So why don’t you change,”

I say to that man.

“Because,” he replies,

With words that will haunt me

For many years to come,

“What point is there to living,

If I can’t really live?

What point is there in dying,

If there is nothing honorable

To die for?”

 

“Goodbye,” I said,

To that fading man.

“I wish you could stay.

You might’ve changed the world.”

Author's Note

Tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!

Reviews

[CD Campbell]

This topic has been much on my mind for the past decade. There is a book by Elizabeth Gilbert I think you might like titled " The last American Man". Pick it up or check it out. I've droned on in the past about the loss of the pioneering spirit in this country on different reviews and it is something that has fallen on deaf ears. Most artistic people have fully embraced the new gender less world. A number of years back I gave up writing on how it was viewed until I read A companion for owls by Maurice Manning. Let me end by saying that I liked your poem. It was written with genuine concern and creativity. There are a few minor issues with punctuation, but that's not a big deal. I hope you continue to express your true feelings and stick to writing from the gut. CD

[David-Tyler]

That touched me, really. I am a masculine man. I grow my beard, I stand up for what's right, I'm working on my gun's liscense, but I get so much criticism everywhere I look. I get told I can't stand up for what's right because I'm white, so I wouldn't know. (I.e white privilege.) I get told my words are abrasive, and my actions are controversial. I can't help who I am haha.

Your poem was great! It was one of the more story focused, and I like those! I especially like the characterization, and build up to the symbol of masculinity. Thank you for writing this one!