My greatest love is my ten, going on 20, year old son. He came into our lives and turned it ‘upside down and round and round’. Once he started to talk, the questions never stopped. Why? Why? Why? ‘Because’ is not a good enough answer for him, so I try to be honest in my, sometimes, embarrassed state. Questions about sex, girls, life, all need to be answered so that he can go away and not feel confused. As he has grown, his emotions are showing more. Before, when he used to sulk; he is now, sometimes, with some coaxing, telling us calmly, how he is feeling.
One of the reasons why I started writing poems from a boy's perspective, was because, I want my son to be an emotionally, well adjusted man. I believe that there is lot of pressure put on boys to not cry, not to be weak and 'man up'. I am not saying that he should cry for everything, I don’t expect that from a girl, what I do expect is for him to be in touch with the feelings that he has. At his age, he may not be able to rationalise all of them, but if he is given the tools, hopefully, he will use them to gain confidence and self respect.
Poem reference: Why Shouldn't I Cry? – Why Shouldn't I Cry?
"I need my emotions. When I don't show any emotions, I am not happy."
Nicolas Kiefer
Comments