Man doesn’t want to embarass anyone
or make anyone feel guilty
about the status quo
of being a man
so he cries alone by the river
as often as it rains
he listens to his breath
through the flute
his daughters
who are his heart
secretly overrule his manhood
when man is done
brutally expelling
threats to families
securing land for whiteness
slaughtering natives
pillaging foreign hearts
he puts the violence safely aside
the violence that shapes
moments of peace
the warrior walks naked through his home
vulnerable
weaponless
expelling threats
returning to tranquility and love
innocence is lost
then regained
making them stronger
and stronger
man
the real man
is a secret