When does the making of a man begin

Does it start with the bloody knee

As tears begin to form

When your told boys don’t cry

When you feel every bone in your body crack

And your wracked with the desire to scream

All you hear is suck it up

Don’t show weakness even though it’s our bodies defense

Is it when you are told to not play with dolls

Boys need footballs

When do you begin to become a man

When you hunt your first buck

To kill a living thing that you don’t really need

Though every fiber in your body screams

I don’t want to hurt a thing

When do you begin to become a man

When you get your first blister

So you can no longer swing the maul

Blood and liquid leak between your fingers

Causing your grip to slip

Do you become a man with your first conquest

When childhood is relinquished

A counting of coup to prove virility

Do you become a man when you go to war

Enticed by adventure and tuition paid

Mental anguish follows every bullet sent

And every “villain" slayed

When does the making of a man begin

And goddammit when does it end!