They tried to name my limits like they knew my strength,
tried to measure my worth in struggle and pain’s length.
But I learned early—what breaks some men
only sharpens the will of where I begin.
I’ve been counted out in rooms I still walked into,
spoken over like my voice couldn’t cut through.
But silence never suited me, I learned to speak in time,
even when the world said my peace should stay confined.
I carry weight they don’t see when I’m standing still,
pressure in my chest, but I bend not will.
I’ve had nights where hope felt far from reach,
but I turned survival into something I could teach.
No, I don’t fold when life gets loud,
I don’t disappear when I stand in a crowd.
If I fall, I study the ground I hit,
then rise with a lesson in every bit.
They thought I’d break—I learned to rebuild,
with every scar I earned, something stronger was filled.
Not perfect, not untouched, but real and awake,
a man who understands what it costs to break.
So I stand—not because life was light or kind,
but because I refused to leave myself behind.
And even when the world tries to pull me down,
I rise in silence… still wearing my crown.
Apr 27
Apr 27, 2026 at 8:36 PM UTC
They tried to name my limits like they knew my strength,
tried to measure my worth in struggle and pain’s length.
But I learned early—what breaks some men
only sharpens the will of where I begin.
I’ve been counted out in rooms I still walked into,
spoken over like my voice couldn’t cut through.
But silence never suited me, I learned to speak in time,
even when the world said my peace should stay confined.
I carry weight they don’t see when I’m standing still,
pressure in my chest, but I bend not will.
I’ve had nights where hope felt far from reach,
but I turned survival into something I could teach.
No, I don’t fold when life gets loud,
I don’t disappear when I stand in a crowd.
If I fall, I study the ground I hit,
then rise with a lesson in every bit.
They thought I’d break—I learned to rebuild,
with every scar I earned, something stronger was filled.
Not perfect, not untouched, but real and awake,
a man who understands what it costs to break.
So I stand—not because life was light or kind,
but because I refused to leave myself behind.
And even when the world tries to pull me down,
I rise in silence… still wearing my crown.
I wrote this poem in similarity to Maya Angelou "Still I rise" From a man's perspective.