Our Worthy Sons

By Susan Jarvis Bryant

Our worthy sons should never be ashamed
Of who they are and who they’re meant to be.
For far too long men’s gender has been blamed
In wars that weaponize identity.

To hell with toxic masculinity—
That noxious term indelibly ingrained
In minds so duped and blind they fail to see
Our worthy sons should never be ashamed.

No baby boy is born to be constrained
By chromosomes or nationality.
No baby boy is born to be defamed
For who he is and who he’s meant to be.

Dividers hex and vex society
Till patriarchy’s name is trashed and stained
By twisted takes on inequality—
For far too long men’s gender has been blamed.

Our worthy sons are slammed and damned and framed
For heinous acts in long-gone history.
They’re criticized and demonized and maimed
In wars that weaponize identity.

Woke, factious terms like male supremacy
(Designed to geld the gallant) have inflamed
This mother’s ire to fight vile misandry—
To stand up and to shoot down hatred aimed
At worthy sons.

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