Fear of Crying

Erica Jong
Focused on flying
As a metaphor
For a feminist
Dilemma
Which had been around
Since long before
Jane Austin
Skillfully
Penned "Emma."

But what of the reluctance
That men often have
When it comes to shedding tears?
Even casual examination
Reveals it to be
Among their deepest fears.

To equate showing sorrow
With weakness
Is misogynistic
If nothing else;
Containing one's true feelings
Stores true expression
On a shelf
Where mold and mildew
Flourish,
Slowly turning into rot,
And the man is left
With far less of himself
Though denial
Tells him not.

Tears are cleansing
And sometimes purifying
Though they do not change
What brought them on;
For a man to allow himself
To show open sorrow
Is a sign that he can grow
And venture toward a beyond.
Men's tears are not metaphors
But escape valves
For pent-up sadness,
Regret
And tension.
To go through life
As a stone-faced cartoon
Reduces any man's
True dimension.