Be A Man, 2022

Mubaraq Yusuf  

Beneath my sturdiness is a puddle surrounded by the moistness of fresh mud- soft and mushy- and it’s how I learned to nurture and love flowers.

I’ve been told my best trait has to be hardness- something impenetrable and unwelcoming. But how is that possible when I embody the softness of mud blooming tender flowers to aliveness?

Have you heard of weeds, the unwanted plants growing where they are not needed, but forcing their way through as a response to nature? By societal standards, my flower is a weed and the public show of my tenderness is unwanted. But by nature, this warm-heartedness is an inherent part of my quiddity. And no matter how hard I try to succumb and run, it would sprout regardless in the face of desired nutrients. In this case, the muddiness of my shadow.

Like they say, “You can’t run from your shadow.” Neither can I. So I will "Be A Man"

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