IT TAKES A WOMAN

Born by a woman, born in the neighborhood
Fed by a woman, through tough livelihood
Raised by a woman, all through childhood
Married to a woman, enjoying your manhood
How about parenthood?
Is it solely for womanhood?
All through her adulthood?
Who can be a real man without splendors of a woman?
To be a man, be a man of honor.

To be a man, must you be magically handsome?
No! To be a man, adore people wholesome!
To be a man, must you pay her lump-some?
No! To be a man, just treat her awesome!
To be a man, must you prove meddlesome?
No! To be a man, intolerance is loathsome!
To be a man, is sensitivity irksome?
No! To be a man, indifference is tiresome
To be a man, should your tongue be gruesome?
No! To be a man, wicked speech is burdensome
Who can be a real man without splendors of a woman?
A real man is a man of honor.

Women can be what men can be!
Look not with teeth what women have done
Yesterday’s paintings of women are gone
Our world is dead if for men a lone
Treat her with zeal, not as a clone
Miss her big! Reach out by phone
Ooh how lucky! Comparable to none!
Who can be a real man without splendors of a woman?
A real man is a man of honor.

Why drive pleasure, cooking others in pain?
Why bath in a river of dark personal gain?
Why call her weak, void of human brain?
Why tie up the maimed with your heartless chain?
Why drive all to grave like a derailed train?
Why the wicked hatred of biblical Cain?
Why your manly gusto, as complex as Spain?
Who can be a real man without splendors of a woman?
A real man is a man of honor.

Your suits, your house, your car, your laptop you cherish
Your family, your business, your cash, you relish
Your neighbors, your “friends”, their gains, your anguish
Her dreams, her strengths, to you, all rubbish.
Your prayer, your hopes, your plans, all selfish
Your spending, your leisure, your shopping, all lavish
Their views, their options, their advice, all childish
Who can be a real man without splendors of a woman?
A real man is a man of honor.

Be a man; carry burning flames of endless hope
Be a man, save the youth from jaws of killer dope
Be a man; embrace the blind, the needy, down the slope
Be a man, don’t walk on women, their strengths, endurance, like that of Pope!
Be a man, respect all, their opinions, their actions, their scope
Be a man, be your best, don’t sit, desire and mope
Be a man, act now, speak up, move on, with a gentle lope
Who can be a real man without splendors of a woman?
A real man is a man of honor.

Copyright © 2009 Meshack Sewe
(INSPIRED BY MY MOTHER, MY WIFE ,AND ALL WOMEN-A POETIC CHALLENGE TO ALL MEN)