Holding Back Tears

Oh! That anguishing moment! When I craved to cry, And pour my tears, like monsoon rains, on some grass dry; A bit away, hence, from the madding crowd, I went, To soothe my grieving heart; give benevolent vent... A hard hand hit my shoulder and commanding, said: You're a man! Should not cry! Calm! Courage! Go ahead! We, in our culture taunt, tease, torture girls, torment, No shame? Showing off before strangers? You pretend! Go! Wipe tears Apply talcum on your plastic face! Lest those around judge you an empty broken vase! Our girls, hence, tie pains like ghosts in their sari-knot, Paint their faces with multi-color smiles, a lot. Children! Gems! Never cry! If cry... Bad boys! Bad girls! Satan is making home in you! His freedom whirls! Why do angels crave things, like beggars full of greed? Why, like dramatic artists - fussy tantrums breed? God's watching like a hawk! Behave! Be virtuous! Your movement should be angelic! Care! Courteous! Yet, deaths, dangers, droughts, floods earthquakes for many years, Have made us shed, like rain torrents, abundant tears; All who gently hushed up feelings like shut memos, Have melt into tears as though from lavas or snows; Seeing harsh callous actions if we do not cry, God's creating such rich tears has no purpose high. Dogs cry. Horses cry. Birds, flies, and reptiles cry too, Feelings, like dew-drops, fill and fall when we're in woe; Sentiments secrete like wild streams within our hearts, Full-fledged; flow like fluent falls; finely flits and flirts; Stopping these, is, like building dams over rivers, Wherein - water waves; caves; crashes; ripple-triggers... Holding tears may be raw romantic! Dramatic! Yet, its nature is to flow and fall full frantic. Brain stressed; heartbeat skipped! Breath blocked! Body traumatized! Muscles, nerves, and blood vessels stiff antagonized; Nature has ways of venting pain and suffering, Thwarting this is, just like her freedom plundering. 18 August 2021 This or That, Vol 5 Poetry Contest Sponsored by: Edward Ibeh