Manly Man

This is a poem called Manly Man by Bradley Hathaway. He is my favorite poet.

I don't want my long hair
Pretty green eyes with
NO I DO NOT HAVE ON MASCARA
Eyelashes
Skinny Figure
Undersized T-shirt

Hip
Shake
Too
Much
When I walk.

Confuse anyone...

I AM A MANLY MAN!

Within this sissy frame
Obviously rib-laden chest
Lies a heart
That BEATS

To the drum of a
Native American ritual dancing
WILDNESS
It PUMPS an evercascading supply of unTAMEDness
That a herd of WILD mustangs have yet to grasp.

If DANGER lurks about, I will seek it out.
If adventure abounds, there I will be found.
If a damsel be in distress

I will show her who is best

I AM A MANLY MAN!

Because I DON'T FLUSH
And I leave the lid up.

I drive a nineteen
Eighty eight
Ford PICK-UP truck.

GIRLS DON'T BREAK UP WITH ME
I break up with them first!
(except the last time)

I DON'T SHAVE THE HAOR ON MY FACE
(because I still can't grow facial hair yet...
But when I CAN, I won't)

BECAUSE BEARDS ARE TOUGH

I
FART
BURP
SPIT
WHEN I WANT
Not caring who is nearby

DISRESPECT my MOMMA
And I will PUNCH you in the eye!

I AM A MANLY MAN!
OR AM I?

I TELL MY guy friends I love them.
Sometimes I even hug them
NO I'm not gay

BUT because I LOVE THEM.

When I watched Bambi
I cried.
WHEN MY MEMA GETS MAD
I still run and hide.

LIKE DAVID I WANT TO BE A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART
I’m not there yet but past the start

And when people talk
I try to listen
A SPIRIT OF COMPASSION
That’s my vision.
Surely I am a manly man
I WANT TO BE LOVED
And have love
And GIVE love
(not just that romantic kind either)

ALTHOUGH I AM LOOKING FOR THAT BEAUTY
NOT HELPLESS
But wants to be rescued.
The damsel in distress
MAN
WOMAN
MYTH
TRUE.

I WILL FIGHT FOR HER.
CLIMB THE HIGHEST TOWER FOR HER
LOVE HER.
SHARE with her.
DELIGHT in her.
Be her WARRIOR.
Her PROTECTOR

She will be my crown
And I will be hers.

My masculinity will be passed down
And affirmed to my sons.

Each of my daughters will know they are LOVELY
And deserving of authentic romance.

Society tells me
All day long

That I have defined manhood
Completely wrong

BUT YOU ASK any honest man and he will agree
YOU ASK any honest woman and she too will see

THAT I AM A MANLY MAN!


So I am 5’11 and weigh about 130 pounds, so I am definitely not the manliest in terms of the physical. I am content on what my physical-ness looks like. I am not content on how much of a manly man I am. Not because I don’t shave or grunt or fart. But because the thing that makes me a manly man, I have yet to complete. A man of God. I try and try and try, yet I fail everyday. So this is it! A new beginning. I have nothing to lose. Why not try it now. No one said life would be easy. And that person who did was a fool. It was never meant to be easy. It has its easy parts because God never leaves our side. He gives and gives and gives, but what do we give back? Most of the time NOTHING! Not even a thanks. When we do give thanks was it because what we asked for was for ourselves? Are we selfish? Do we care only about ourselves? God created me to be a manly man. Not how the world sees me being a manly man, but how God planned it. You may have muscles, and good looks, and I may not. However I am strong enough to open the Bible. Turns its pages. Strong enough to read it. I may only be able to do 20 pushups in a row, but I am strong enough to face this world, and all the crap it throws at you. I am strong enough to stand before the devil and say NO! I am strong enough to tell him GO TO HELL! I am also strong enough to embrace him and say I love you! For his weakness is not hating him but loving him. I want to dance undignified like David did. Even if it means losing your wife. I want to be strong enough to stand up for what I believe. 
God created me to love! A man fights with his fists, but a true Manly Man fights for his love! I will fight for what I LOVE! Love is not just a girl word. A true man can say it without making sure his buddies are around. Love is a word that you aren’t ashamed of. We say love movies are chick flicks! What makes those only for ‘chicks?’ 

ALL I KNOW IS ‘I AM A MANLY MAN’