From man to man

Letter addressed to man, from man to man.

Dear man.

My Wordweb dictionary defines you as an adult male person (noun) and further continues that you are an adult male person who has "manly" characteristics, which by example it includes courageous and virile. In my spiritual lessons and traditional teachings, I was taught that you are the head of the family, the provider and the protector of the family. Infact, allow me to rephrase that, I was taught that you WERE the head of the family, the provider and protector of the family, and a family constituted of you, a woman (wife) and children whom are under your care. 

I, today stand in great disgust to see myself labelled as a "man", for your conduct has gotten me into rephrasing what you stand for. It has forever been known that "boys will be boys" and that some of the things that you do should
be ignored because you are a "man". Dear man, this letter is not necessarily meant to define you further or even open discussions around your definition, but just a letter for your reading on how I think and feel about you.

It would be lovely to write out this piece without mentioning my dear sisters and the women bodies out there who are in the dismay of your conduct, but then it is quiet hard to do so. You have taken the little integrity that other young boys and I could have had if you were not there to steal it away, you have become what people fear instead of feeling safe next to you... A taunting ghost you have become and have stripped away what others considered as themselves.

As I caught up with years of ageing, I learnt that "fathers are over-protective over their daughters", and now it hits me, how could an innocent person be aggressive and insecure this much if he weren't the one perpetuating the unsafe spaces of existence? I learnt that "young girls with skimpy and short skirts make men uncomfortable", and I wonder, what is it exactly that is so special about those "men" who felt uncomfortable at the sight of a young innocent girl in her dress?

Dear "men", you see, when I was in my tender years, there would be those who are young adults and mini versions of you who would come around to teach us what being a "man" was and sadly, instead of teaching, they were taking. "A man is he who has many girls", " you have to know how to fight to be a man, not cry like you are a woman", "A man doesn't ask twice, instead he takes when she says no".... the list goes on. I have to tell you, it was all good and all well by then, all good until the day they came home to roost, your chickens. All well until the day they had to bear fruits, your plants. I bet my friends and I were not the only ones who were given the similar lessons, but many others out there.., and your fruits? Rape, murder, abuse, depression, assassinations and kidnappings.

You took away the "man" I wanted to be, the man who wouldn't leave my mother, the man who would be the provider and protector of my family. You took away the emotions I had and became the small version of you, that of you full of anger and stupidity. All that was too good for me became something I desired no more. You raped away the little hope I had in bettering my surroundings, murdered the innocent young boy in me who couldn't wait to be the reason behind my sisters and mothers' smile, abused me in any manner you could to ensure that I become your slave, assassinated the home I always wanted-a home with a father and kidnapped my family's dreams.

And you just don't stop taking, you don't stop when we all say "NO", when we cry out loud and shout "STOP!", instead you become defensive, become an arsehole and a bloody stinking piece of shit! By your lessons, you live by them and we're all your women, you keep taking from us. You rape away happy souls who have done nothing to you, leading them to suicide and murder, assassinating their lives and kidnapping their chance at joy. How could you!!!!, for us who are supposedly "men", we are left to always associating the warriors in our lives with weakness and incompetence because you shithead have gotten away with so much and for so long. Even our dear mothers are subjected to your unfathomable deeds, leaving them hung out dry to raise us while you are out wiggling nothing but two balls and a penis and calling yourself a "man".

Actually, I have grown to know that you are not a man, you a just a weak-ass big cry baby who is afraid of himself and his demons. You cannot even stand a woman.

I conclude my letter to you by saying, YOU ARE TRASH and you have made me TRASH TOO. Fuck off...

I am Pontsho G. Rammupudu Molahlegi.