To my dearest beloved
I wanted you to know
That I do not need you
To protect me
/
I do not need you
To protect me from your sadness
Because your grief lets me know
You’re a beautiful human too
/
I do not need you
To protect me from your turmoil
As a woman, turmoil is something that I AM
So let me embrace it all
/
I do not need you
To protect me from your anger
It’s only a burst of energy
I’ll help you scream it out
/
I do not need you
To protect me from your fear
Because seeing you be present with it
Actually gives me strength
/
I do not need you
To protect me from your vulnerability
You are never weak in my eyes
You are the strongest man to me
/
I do not need you
To protect me from your mortality
Because our love surpasses time and space
Our connection lasts eternity
/
So let me not need your protection
As it will set you free
You may be surprised at the results
If you just let emotions be
Afterword
This is a sequel to a poem I wrote on Valentine’s Day called “I Don’t Need You”.
Men have so much pressure to be “strong”. When boys are taught to “man-up”, “not be a sissy” or “not be a girl”, this can have seriously damaging effects on their emotional well-being. The biggest shame is that vulnerability is man’s greatest strength.
A lot of men feel emotions just as strongly as women do. Yet they feel like they shouldn’t have them, let alone express them. There are also men who pressure themselves to be the “tough” one in the relationship, to be the protector of the two. This may lead them to hide their emotions from their partners because they feel they must shield them from pain. This can make them hold in much anguish. The emotions are there, and they need to be let out. I tried to convey in my letter that my loved ones’ vulnerability only serves to make us both become stronger, deepening our love.