As a man, How do I protect her When I blame her for everything, When the weight of my words Crushes her spirit beneath The burden of my own ego? How do I expect her to feel safe When she hasn’t been shielded From the sharp edges of my pride?
As a man, How do I stand tall, Expecting the world to respect her When I am the first to tear her down… To loud and insult, Making her cower in corners Where love should be her refuge?
As a man, How do I protect my woman When I am the very storm She seeks shelter from? How do I hold the line Stand the gap, When my own hands Have been the ones to break her?
If I take away money, Strip sex from the table What is left? What do I have to offer Beyond the material, Beyond the physical? What can I give That won’t fade or tarnish Under the weight of life?
As a man, Is my strength only in what I provide Or can it be found in the way I love, In the way I listen In the way I hold her heart As if it were my own?
Can I offer understanding, A voice that doesn’t just speak But also hears, A touch that doesn’t just take But also heals? Can I be her peace, Her shelter, The calm in her storm?
As a man, How do I protect my woman? I start by protecting her from me, From the parts of myself That have yet to learn That love is not about control, But about setting free. Not about taking, But about giving Until there is nothing left But the truth of who we are.
As a man, I stand the gap By standing with her Not over her, By lifting her Even when she feels too weak To stand on her own. I offer her the best of me Not the rest of me And in that I find my strength, My purpose, My manhood.
As a man, I am more than what I own More than what I give, I am the love I show, The respect I grow, And the promise That she will always know She is safe with me. Hey, now! Does this not sound right to you?
Emiliene Atabong