Men of Substance

TO MEN OF SUBSTANCE To the man who took the fall for his female colleague Because she was sleeping with his boss To the man who lost his job because he refused bribes To the man who was killed by his peers Because they were intimidated by his brilliance To the man with a fat salary but never got a chance To build a house for his wife and kids Because he had to pay school fees for the kids Who don’t give a damn about him at all To the man who works tooth and nail To provide for his ungrateful wife Who despises his little income To the man with a bruised ego whose wife continuously Compares him to this richer friend who doesn’t have half his morals To the man who got stoop up on his wedding day by his soulmate To the man enduring the dreadful humiliation After his wife’s illicit affair with his pastor To the man who never knew his father because he was a product of rape To the man who is raising another man’s child and hasn’t the slightest clue To the man running up and down the streets like a yoyo Trying to offset debts incurred by his high maintenance wife To the man who is a laughing stock to his relatives and friends Because he loves his wife too much and is seemingly under Petticoat government To the man who believes in his subordinates against all odds And builds them up instead of pulling them down To the man who has endured the noxious snares of this life And still stands strong without losing hope To all men who wouldn’t trade their integrity for anything To men of honour We salute you