The Price of Masculinity

We wear our pride like armor, strong yet frail,

burdened by norms that whisper and wail.

In the gym’s lonely echo, I push back the fear,

for each flex of my muscle, the stakes become clear.

What’s strength if it costs me my heart, my own voice?

A silence now thick, drowning out every choice.

To be brave in a world where we build walls so high,

is to fight with the shadows, while learning to cry.