Raising Them And Him Too! Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

-Taught to be a man.
As best as a man can be.-

She alone could not raise them.
And him too!
The father of her children.
An absentee complainer.
Bragging to everyone,
What he did to not do.
With evidence of proof provided.
Those in the know,
Knew this to claim was far from truth.

The son was thought to be a mama's boy.
Enjoying the ease of a spoiled life.
But privately it was mama who taught,
Her son to be a man.
Much more than the man she called 'husband'.
He couldn't be that.
Although she tried to hide that fact.
As best as a 'denier' can.

The son,
And the 'eldest' of her children to deliver.
Was given chores not to ignore.
To do what he was told.
With a mouth to keep closed.
The son,
And the eldest child.
Lived to despise his 'father' for awhile.
Knowing 'whenever' he came to be around,
Fresh lies would be said.
As if practiced from telling them,
To others to believe to leave in their heads.
This was more than a sadness to dread.

The son,
Protective and quiet enduring conflicts.
Grew older to realize,
Leaving this 'entrapment'...
Had to be done with a way to do it.
Painless but not too obvious to notice.
And when that decision was made,
Wanting his life to live as he liked.
Experiencing adventures far away from b.s.
Making mistakes with obstacles to face.
Without excuses to hear his father fake.
The son felt for the first time free.
To be himself. And not what others believed.
Unafraid.
Since few knew what he had to do.
To be that 'mama-made-man'.

Remembering as the years would pass.
The words from mama that stayed to last.
"Trust me, boy.
One day you will be loved for who you are.
And the ones who will never understand,
Did not have me as your mother.
You got that! ? "

-Uh...huh? -

"Shut...it...up.
And listen.
Now...
Sweep the floor.
Take out the trash.
Then watch your sister.
Wherever she goes with no questions to ask.
Whatever she does you do it too."

-But...Maaa! -

"No Buts, boy.
Unless you want a 'switch' on yours to get."

-Taught to be a man.
As best as a man can be.
And...
To disagree with a woman?
I have learned it is better to say,
YOU ARE RIGHT!
Then quickly walk away.
Preferably to the nearest forest.
To then ask God...
Why me?
Why am I picked,
To put up with this b.s.
Am I being tested.
Will I live to earn,
More peace than I have to get...
To beg for it.
When You decide to surprise with this,
In Heaven! -