Men Don’t Cry

By Relieve(Contributor)

All these feelings, 
Bottled up, sealed in tight,
The first, the second, the third... 
The hundredth, you lose count.
But he's a man, right?
You’re not supposed to see.
You dare not ask. 
Yes... indeed men don't cry.
Men don’t cry.

They clench their fists in silence. 
They howl and growl
In the hollow of the night, 
In places where no ears exist,
Where no light enters,
And no voice returns an echo. 
They suffer behind smiles 
Bright, wide, convincing.
But inside? 
Inside, a storm rages. 
A chest full of shattered glass, 
A heart bleeding through invisible cracks.

He suffers in silence. 
He’s expected to be strong, 
To bear the weight and never crumble, 
To carry pain like a badge of honour,
Never showing it, never breaking. 
Yes, men don’t cry... 
But I say they howl.

He gives quickly, 
Eager to love, 
Eager to serve. 
And like a lamb,
He walks willingly into fire.
But the knife still finds his neck.
Still, he bleeds 
Silently. 
Still, the silence screams. 
He trusted you. 
Thought your light could reach his shadows. 
So he opened the door,
Let you into the sacred space,
He had never shown anyone. 
You saw his softness,
His trembling truth.

But you mocked the cracks, 
Feared the depth, 
And then you thrashed. 
Yes, you did. 
And he howled and growled. 
Not in anger 
But in anguish. 
In a pain so deep it deafens. 
In a silence so loud it kills. 
His vulnerability, trampled. 
His darkness deepened. 
You didn’t light his way. 
You couldn’t even see it. 
And now, he's falling… 
Deeper, deeper 
Into the blackest abyss.

Men don’t cry, they say. 
And I agree 
They don’t. 
But they scream with silent tongues, 
Bleed through perfect posture, 
Collapse behind closed doors. 
They sit in rooms filled with laughter 
Yet feel alone.
They smile at the world;
While their soul begs for rest. 
They carry their scars 
Like medals, no one ever asked to win. 
If only you could hear it 
The silent howling 
Under their breath.

If only you could see it 
The shredded hearts 
Behind their eyes. 
So the next time you say, 
“Be a man, don’t cry…” 
Know this: 
He’s already howling. 
And you… 
You just weren’t listening.

Editor Note: This is part of the UCJ series on creative pieces for Men Mental Health Month