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I’m not just a man, I am first and foremost a human.
I’m not a robot. I have emotions, too.
We can cry. If something doesn’t work— maybe soon it will.
The world becomes your therapist in dark times.

Stop compromising what you feel— as if it means nothing.
Showing your most vulnerable self is one thing.
Learning how to express it makes anything possible.
Doing it— and understanding yourself means everything.

Our minds matter— like our voices do.
Everything is valid; it makes us more human.
The world will not judge you.
Don’t listen to the voices— as if their noise knows everything.

They say men don’t cry?— who made that rule?
What do they know about you? As if they’re above you.
Learning to jive with your emotions is a strength.
It is what makes men strong, not by hiding it.

Hiding what you feel will hurt you.
Acknowledge what’s inside you; it’s righteous.
A solace left unattended isn’t just personal. It’s powerful, it’s influential.
In order to be a man— we should be human.

The norms— they echo. I can’t stand with the societal expectations.
I’m also a human— I get hurt, I get disappointed, and lastly, I have feelings.
Why are they so unfair?— fighting for equality yet setting
a standard for a man—on how they should act.

Oh, tyranny is an act of cruelty.
The chains— they’re so heavy,

this is a system that should be broken— now.
A man is a human and the society should realize that.
I have emotions and I must speak up.
We are men, not just men— we should be free.

By George Jeff Cheng