He, by Tania
He was taught to be tough.
He was told to “harden the fuck up”.
He learnt to repress his emotions.
He believes crying is for pussy’s.
He is a product of his environment.
He is dealing with years of intergenerational trauma and abuse.
He is repeating the cycle, but he wants to break it.
He is hurting so he likes to numb the pain.
He has pain so deep but he doesn’t know how to release it.
He wears the weight of being the provider.
He feels he needs to live up to the expectations of others.
He is a boy in a man’s body who has grown up well before his time.
He could be a boy in a women’s body and just wants to fit in.
He has a voice, he needs to be heard.
He’s not invisible, he needs to be seen.
He is a craving a sense of belonging.
He needs to be connected to his whakapapa.
He wants more than anything to be a “better man”.
He wants to change, but he doesn’t know how.
He didn’t grow up with the right role models to help him on his journey.
He has dreams and aspirations.
He yearns for a better life.
He knows where he wants to go but doesn’t know how to get there.
He wants to love, and he wants to be loved.
He needs help, he has suffered enough.
He needs reassurance that it’s going to be ok.
He is a koro. He is a pāpā. He is a son. He is a grandson. He is a brother. He is an uncle. He is a cousin. He is husband. He is a partner. He is a mate.
He is him. He is them/they. He is her. Or is He you?
