Category : Poems

Sub Category : N/A

I am a man, strong as an oak,

Yet inside, I'm a withering leaf. 

My voice is strong, but my heart is crying,

I hide my tears, for they say a man should not weep.


I want to change, to be better,

But traditional societal expectations bind me to old ways.

I want to speak, to express my feelings,

But words choke in my throat like thorns.


I understand now, that transformation is the way,

To let my true self be free.

I want to be a new man, true as the north star,

Showing my whole self, fears cast to the wind.


I'm breaking down walls of ancient stone,

That say a man can't show love or empathy.

I want to be the one who listens, who holds,

Who shows that I too can empathise.


Today, I plant the seed of change,

Nurturing growth like a spring garden.

I am determined to be a better man,

My voice rising clear as a morning bird's song.


-Silindile OkaMaDlamini Hlongwa