Raising a Man
I AM A WOMAN FORCED TO RAISE A MAN
EVERY MAN IN MY LIFE HAS EITHER LIED OR ABUSED
HURT OR CONFUSED ME
SO HERE I AM STUCK
I'M JUST ALL OUT OF LUCK
AND FRANKLY, I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO
I AM A WOMAN FORCED TO RAISE A MAN
AND I DON’T HAVE A CLUE
I LOVE MY CHILD
BUT I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE
I HAVE BEEN AROUND REALLY STRONG WOMEN
BUT RAISING A BOY TO BE A MAN?
I DON’T KNOW THE BEGINNING
MY DAD WAS A ALL AROUND ABUSER
ABUSER OF WOMEN
ABUSER OF DRUGS
ABUSER OF ALCOHOL
ABUSER MENTALLY TO PEOPLE
COCAINE IS A HELL OF A DRUG
THEN I GREW UP
I BECOME INVOLVED WITH A MAN
THE FATHER OF MY CHILD
AND HERE I AM EXPOSING MY SON TO THE SAME TYPE OF MAN
A MAN THAT ABUSES ME PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS MENTALLY
IS A PUNCH MORE THAN A SLAP?
WOULD YOU RATHER BE CHOKED OR CALLED NAMES?
I DON’T KNOW WHO'S MORE TO BLAME
I USED TO BE IN DENIAL JUST BECAUSE HE NEVER PUNCHED ME
JUST BECAUSE MY EYES HAD NEVER BEEN BLACKENED
BUT I MAINTAINED TO HAVE SCARS LEFT BEHIND ALL OF THE GRABBING AND THE SCRATCHING
ALL OF THE DRAGGING ME ACROSS THE FLOOR
I HONESTLY FELT NUMB
THIS HAS BECOME MY NEW NORM
I BEGAN TO STOP TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT IT
I BEGAN TO EXPECT A FIGHT
I BEGAN TO STOP CARING ABOUT THE REPERCUSSIONS FOR MY ACTIONS
I DIDN’T CARE IF I LIVED OR I DIED
THEN I REALIZED I HAVE A PERSON THAT DEPENDS ON ME
HE DEPENDS ON ME TO DO THINGS
I HAVE A SON TO TEACH
AND I AM A WOMAN FORCED TO RAISE A MAN
AND ALTHOUGH I NEVER HAD ANY GOOD EXAMPLES OF WHAT A REAL MAN IS
ALL I CAN DO IS TEACH HIM WHAT A REAL MAN DOESN’T DO
A REAL MAN DOESN’T HURT THE PEOPLE THAT HE LOVES
A REAL MAN DOESN’T ABUSE ANYONE
A REAL MAN DOESN’T ABUSE SUBSTANCES, BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT HE NEEDS TO LIVE LONG TO BE THERE FOR HIS FAMILY
A REAL MAN LOVES HARD
HARD ENOUGH TO LET A WOMAN GO IF NEED BE
A REAL MAN DOESN’T MAKE EXCUSES
A REAL MAN DOESN’T LIE
A REAL MAN IS GENTLE AND KIND
I MAY ONLY BE A MOTHER TO SOME
BUT I HAVE A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY
I HAVE TO RAISE MY BOY INTO A MAN
THE BEST THAT I CAN
HE DESERVES A BETTER LIFE
IT’S TIME TO END THE CYCLE
UNTIL THEN
I AM A WOMAN FORCED TO RAISE A MAN
ALL IN A DAYS POET-TEA TIME
Copyright © Nicole Archie | Year Posted 2016
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