3. Excuse Me While I Question What it Means to, “Be a Man.”

I wrote this poem shortly after finding out that one of my old friends passed away. Men’s mental health is real, and it’s often overlooked or ignored.

This piece came from that moment — from trying to process loss, anger, and the weight so many men are taught to carry in silence.

I originally wrote it in 2023, and aside from updating the line that references the year, it remains exactly as it was when I first wrote it.