As a man who has felt every last feeling he described in this to a shocking degree of accuracy, this moved me to tears. Raw, heartfelt, absolutely fantastic. Thank you for articulating this so that maybe, just maybe, some will start to understand.

"Remembering what it was like to be a boy running toward a goal." Out of everything he said, that is what hit me the hardest.

Came here from TikTok. NEEDED TO HEAR THIS WHOLE.

Shaking, crying on my bathroom floor at 5 AM to this. Thank you for saying everything I didn’t have the courage to say.

This young man just summed up years of life far beyond his age.

Most men will only experience unconditional love from there mothers and some of us dont even get that Most of us have never even felt appreciation or respect without conditions or hidden intentions We dont know what it sounds like to hear I see you Im proud of you Im glad you’re here You really make a difference Damn.

This feels like the explanation to why you sometimes pass another guy on the street and you just give eachother that nod.

As a 26 year old man, I’m almost sobbing right now in the middle of the gym. This needs to be seen by everyone. It’s so eye opening, it hurts.

EVERY man knows these things and has them internalized, but hearing them vocalized just hits the soul. An ounce of understanding in a world that has always considered us cannon fodder. Thank you, and thank you to all the men who are still here making the most of their journey. 🙏🏿

We men need to look out for each other because no one else will.

“There is no such thing as an attempted suicide. A mans soul dies long before his body has a chance to realize” 😢😢 i feel that brother shit cuts deep. I feel a lot of us men are moving based only by our survival instincts and inside we are a hollow shell murdered by the onslaught of life’s tribulations

Teach a Boy to Cry - T Sleeveless People think the deconstruction of a man is some loud violent occurrence This outpour of bitterness towards the world And in reality The deconstruction of a man is a silent film A common surgical procedure that the world didn’t know it was trained to do The breaking of a boy Is the world’s quietest natural disaster As a man there is no such thing as being stuck between a rock and a hard place You either use the stones at rock bottom to build a way out Or you get buried by them Ain’t nobody coming to save you The entire world is trying to construct you Into its perfect little image And the people around you are the ones who fuel the process of your manufactured masculinity Some of us are gonna make it through assembly But we need to watch out for defective counterparts Because the whole world is going to use their flaws to define all of us Luckily Most defective product is aware of its own shortcomings And tends to destroy itself given enough time alone with its imperfections This abridged explanation of the process is how you become a man Or a monster Everybody knows what a monster does Everybody judges the monster Nobody questions its creator Some of us are manufactured to make light of our peril With jokes if you will Male comedians are magicians in this way How they take their pain and airbrush it into something laughable He he Ha ha Joke about a failed suicide The crowd laughs The curtains close The comedian drinks all the way home A mans tears are just funny that way How they have to be translated to be accepted How they have to be transcribed into an art form To be worthy of observation How you have to bleed artistically To become a worthy topic of conversation Funny How we can joke about a mans misery But nobody taught the boy to cry But they taught him how to fight Nobody tucked them in at night So he doesn’t sleep at night Nobody offers protection to the protectors Nobody provides the providers with provisions Nobody looks after the overseer Nobody has ever tried to guide the man who steers Everybody judges the weak men Nobody checks on the strong ones Only other men know how subtle a difference before the transition Nobody taught the boy to cry So he would do it at all the wrong times In the barber chair Getting casket sharp Remembering the funeral of a failed relationship In the grocery aisle Breaking down because he’s weighed down by the tears collecting in his baggage At a soccer game Remembering what it was like to be a boy running towards a goal Most men Will only experience unconditional love from their mothers And some of us don’t even get that Most of us have never even felt appreciation Or respect Without conditions or hidden intentions We don’t know what it sounds like to hear “I see you, and I’m proud of you.” “I’m glad you’re here.” “You really make a difference.” Yet the expectation is to constantly be displaying the strength and love That the world is hesitant in conveying We’re expected to have a thick skin But get judged if it turns into a hard shell The first step in being a man is ignoring the hunger Cuz yes boy you gon be starving Starved of attention Starved of affirmation Starved of love Starved of being told that you are enough Step 2 in being a man is comfortability with replaceability You are only as good as you are useful You are only as valuable as you are needed by others Should there ever come a day, boy Where you fail to provide everybody with a smiling face Then do not be surprised when they say "All men do is take up space” And you are swiftly replaced Step 3 in being a man is overcoming your fear of the fire Cause almost everything you ever try to build Will go up in flames Relationships, careers, hobbies And yes You are always to blame Step 4 in being a man is understanding that by the time you finally get all the right answers These questions will have already changed You might achieve the strength of Herculean fiction Trying to balance the weight Of all these contradictions Be a man they say Definition unknown Description keep changing We men So empty So irritable So this So that We get told what we are so much We’ve accepted that who we are ain’t even up to us The blame is always on us regardless One guilty man’s actions requires an innocents mans explanation Otherwise you’re all guilty by gender association There are four times as many male suicidal ideation Because its been hammered in our head that we’re falling short of our societal expectations Imagine being in a world of hurt for a hundred different reasons During a nationwide emasculation season There is a unique brand of sadness that follows being hated without reason It ain’t no secret While over 30% of us have attempted to stop breathing Nobody even mentions the men who have succeeded As the saying goes, “every failure is one step closer to a successful attempt.” There is no such thing as an attempted suicide A mans soul dies long before his body has a chance to realize A man with an old soul Is just a boy who contemplated going ghost For every woman that suffers the same fate Four men will follow her to the grave And I try to hide the stats from the poet Because he might romanticize them He might mistake this tragedy for a love story He might write a poem in place for the suicide notes that were never left behind Because nobody taught him otherwise So who’s gonna teach these boys to cry While they’re still alive A man with nothing to lose Will view everything as something to take A child that isn’t embraced by the village Will burn the village down And he will stare As everything that didn’t love him back Contorts And cracks He will ease his way into the fire Until he finally Feels Some warmth

This deserves a grammy

The people that want you to open up are the people that will tell you to stop being so sensitive. The people that you ask honesty of are the people who honestly don’t give a fuck about you. The people who decide to let themselves in are the people that take the most and the people who you let in are the people who won’t give you anything. Do things for yourself for others. Thank you for saying this so beautifully

29 years of my life summed up in 7 minutes. Shits crazy.

Man. That last line hit like a sledgehammer, that's some amazing truth

As a man, this made me cry. You put it better in so many words.

You put into words what I didn’t realize I felt. All of this hit so close to home everyone on this planet needs to hear this 👍

I remember seeing the Godfather for the first time, long ago. Vito tells Michael, "I've spent my whole life trying not to be careless. Women and children can be careless, but not men". It was a simple statement, yet profound, with more behind it left unsaid. Except this guy actually said it, and more. Incredibly powerful.

A man with an old soul is just a boy that contemplated going ghost. . . I think this is the first time I've ever felt seen.

"Everybody judges the weak men, nobody checks on the strong ones" "One guilty man's action requires an innocent man's explanation otherwise you're all guilty by gender association" But this poem's concluding line sent chills down my spine: "He will ease his way into the fire until he finally feels some warmth"

"Most men will only experience unconditional love from their mothers... Most of us have never even felt appreciation or respect without hidden intentions." For all his flaws and mistakes, for all the trauma he did put me through, my father was always there to tell me that he loved me and that he was proud of me. No matter what mistakes I made or the shit I put him through, he was there for me; eventually I came to understand that he loved me, unconditionally. It's bittersweet to realize how lucky I am for that. He didn't meet my mother until I was three years old, but he's the only real father I ever had or needed. Here's to my old man 🍻

"A guilty man's actions require an innocent man's explanation". Damn I felt that

As a wife, a sister and a mother of a son that DOES give a shit, THIS is one of the best things I can take in and share. THANK YOU for baring your soul. Thank you for helping me appreciate the perspective of a Man! I shared this with every man that made a difference in my life! I love you !

Man, This gave me chills..!!🔥🔥 IT'S NOT A POETRY.. ITS A LIFE OF A MAN..💔🕯

Damn... the line "...everybody judges the weak man, nobody checks on the strong ones..." got right in the feels. Amazing, brotha.

I always tell my sons it's okay to cry. I'm proud of them. As their dad I love them unconditionally. I've learned to cry in my late 30s. I still feel like I have a lot of anger issues, but I am working on it one day at a time

Man it just leave me speechless, i cant even imagine the courage you need to preform this piece in our society right now, especially when nobody cares and us men can only listen. my respect goes to you.

all of my life I've been asking everyone "why". why are we not allowed to cry, feel, be shy or subtle. and 40 years in comes T. Sleeveless and explains it all in 5 minutes. a massive THANK YOU. ❤️

“First step in being a man is ignoring the hunger” damn that hit hard.

I have this bookmarked for the simple reason that it rings so true. This makes me feel that my tears are not in vain. I also feel less alone. I play it once every few days so I can remember these words and NOT walk into the flame.

"A man with an old soul is just a boy who contemplated going ghost" Didn't realize how much that resonated until someone put it into words.. way to speak up for all who feel like their voices go unheard. Much love to all 🤙

Scary accurate. Huge props to this dude

I'm only 19 and this.. this is the most relatable poem I've ever heard..

I'm a female and I felt this.

That line. We' get told who we are so much we've accepted who we are ain't even uo to us...

That poem was so profound… I felt every word and you’re absolutely correct… I’m a mother of a 2 year old boy… and that is something I’m teaching him now is crying is a human emotion…and that it’s ok to cry and that I am and will always be a safe space and place to come to… Bc mental health is very important and I see black men especially struggle with mental health

I am 37 and have sole custody of 3 young kids. So much of this hits my heart and brain so damn hard. Spitting facts with true feelings many men share. As someone who was never told I'm proud of what you have done, I would like to break that cycle and tell this man that I am proud of him using his talent and sharing this.

I literally cried listening to this man it’s been so long since I was able to shed a tear I’ve become so desensitized to everything

So fucking powerful. How you have to bleed artistically to become a worthy topic of conversation I fucking felt that

I love how woman are clapping in this, I ain’t saying they can’t agree, but how can they agree when they can’t begin to understand

I needed to see this, SO BADLY. Recovering from the drama and depression of a separation, after 20 years of being in a relationship. Now, I'm using every fiber of my being to make sure my son is happy, healthy, and loved. Keep up the good work, brother. You're helping more people than you could possibly imagine.

As a mother, this poem made me take a long hard look at myself! It made me immediately go hug my 9 year old, and tell him just how important, valuable, and loved he is!! I pray that should he ever feel otherwise, that he knows he can come to me.

I’m late but this need to be shared all over

This is the type of poetry I can actually appreciate. Poetry that's crystal clear in its meaning and still manages to dumbfound people. I hate poetry but I love this piece

Everything was said perfectly. This saved me today. I’ll be back to listen tomorrow.

This is our lives as men I’ve always said this to women never judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes

I watched this gentleman soon after this was uploaded and it just seems that things aren't any better.

I see you, I am proud of you, and I am glad you are here.

This hit me like a bag of bricks. Honestly, if I still knew how to cry, then this poem would have made me shed some tears.

The world needs to hear this. Please let the world hear this. Can we please get the world to hear this!

I come back and watch this video quite often. A very powerful message for us all.

Am 62yo, black, born on an Island , then move to Auzz at 12yo. Thank you TSleeveless, Do not really know how to thank you for how you have moved me but more importantly,,, finally some clarity. You have giving me a new perspective and a greater freedom within my mind. Thank you for your efforts and kindness.

Holy….sh*t. That hit deep in my soul. I am speechless. My man told those ppl how we feel but put into words so delicately and beautifully. This is the reason why so many men contemplate suicide daily and finally hit they’re breaking point and fall through with it. I’ve come a long way. I still have suicide in the back of my head. Not as much as I use to but damn because of how we are treated it stays there. I wish that thought would finally leave me alone. I’m sick of it always lingering. I’ll never succumb to it but I really do wish it would leave my head one day

This man just summarized my 43 years of life in one poem. Truly amazing.

I cried hearing this because this has been my life for 30+ years and onward. Society hates men and boys. Women especially hate us. Women will never ever understand what it's like to be a man. They have it easy. Thank you, TSleelveless for speaking for millions of us who don't have a voice in the darkness of despair.

Profoundly cathartic to hear. Good to know someone else thinks about this.

I couldnt help but say that every word of this was even somewhat oh a little dagger in me. Its one thing to say and think these exact same things but is a completely different feeling when someone else says the exact same thoughts and realization i felt in the midst of having my strongest front on yet. It makes you tear up and feel a little more.

This deserves so many more views than the 619 I’m seeing right now. Absolute truth and it hurts to know it’s relatable to myself and so many others. We all deserve to feel loved. We are loved. Fuck

This man said everything I’ve had built up and wanted to say for the last 25 years. I will never forget this man’s words. Every man and woman should see this.

In a moment of mental weakness and anger when I found this. Struggling with these same feelings that he put to words. I hope this Young man finds a clear path forward and a bright future. He helped me so much today. I have shared this 3 times and have watched it 5 times to this point.

Wow! Am sending this to all my brothers. Thank you

Stay strong men. And reach out to each other. Edit: Still hits hard 10 months later...10 months and the feelings haven't changed. The ideation is still there.

This is the most powerful poem I’ve ever heard

Damn this shit really hit my soul, been a while since I've felt that level of validation

THANK YOU! 😢😢😢I’ve been there, I am there, but now’s our time. Now’s our time to show everyone that we can cry too. Now’s our time to define OUR own masculinity. 🙏🏻 💯

I'm pausing this video to come back to later. Can't be crying, I've got a meeting in 15 mins.

The way you turned the feelings of men into words. Man you have a gift. I felt every word deep in my soul. I wish we as men could all convey them the same way you did here. Maybe those we love would understand and we wouldn't have to feel this way anymore.

Every female needs to hear this this is beautiful and true

Your words are so powerful. They burn they hurt. Sadly my lesson in my 50 years on this earth - they will take your kindness for weakness and if you show them your weak spots they WILL use them against you one sad day. Protect yourself at ALL TIMES!!! Don’t ever let them see you cry. Keep your head up chest out. The only people who will have my unconditional love are my children. And even from them I must learn to not expect any gratitude. Good night brothers ❤

“Luckily most defective product is aware of its own short comings and tends to destroy itself given enough time alone with its imperfections” right here I started to tear up

Found this on Facebook . Had to come see the full video. Man I’m just lost for words. I just expressed this to my queen. It’s the harsh truth .

Thank you for this. As I sit in my car leaving work listening to this, I realized I never take the time to process my life. Everything he said was accurate and hit me all at once. 30yrs old and just now realizing no one checks for me unconditionally.

The Message. The Delivery. The Reality. The Rollercoaster of Emotions...This is a MASTERPIECE on so many levels! It hit so deep I couldn't come out of it.

Got this on repeat. The driving force of not falling over that edge. Beautiful words and even stronger message. Much love to you for that

I had a daughter once about a decade ago and when she passed so did I Had no fight left in me I’m past most of the pain now but this here brought up the last decade in 7 minutes.. Well done for creating what so many people feel one way or another

For the boys! Felt all this. ❤️‍🔥

Man that resonates. Beautifully spoken, true artful poetry.

Thank you for being able to verbally express what I and many more men feel inside , sincerely thank you

‘At a soccer game, remember what it was like to be a boy running to a goal’

Man is out here expressing through poetry the feelings that many men can't put into words for themselves. You can feel how deep this came from and that makes this a beautiful piece.

This basically describes every man around the good ones have to explain for the guilty ones since we are guilty by association just bcuz we are a man. The line about the man with an old soul is a boy that went ghost is so true. I ghosted everyone for my peace and they say I have an old soul because I like being alone. But mostly bcuz everyone in the world judges like they are perfect.

“There’s no such thing as attempted suicide a man soul dies long before his body has the chance to realize “ ……….i don’t why this came across my ig short but im glad i found this thank you

Painfully accurate and we will still be ignored. We are broken men with broken hearts using broken minds, carrying broken souls.

I felt this with my very soul, and it put me in tears. This needs to be heard by the world

I just turned 40 and I’m walking this tight rope every day.

I struggle like many men to cry. Crying was never tolerated, from childhood on out. But every word of this resonated with me in ways I can’t explain. Thank you. Thank you for putting to words the feelings I never knew could be quantified as such.

Damn. Boy You goin to be hungry..... felt that. Stay strong. only way out is through

Life as a man... "I was 29 years old. Had just lost my job during the Sub Prime crisis. Shortly after that my father, at 59, died in a auto accident. I was expected to be the port in the storm for the entire family. And I was. I had the audacity to break down in front of my now ex-wife. Her response "I need you to be an effing man!". That's the compassion we receive.

I hope you push to publish this young man, we’ll said. Thank you.

Beautiful poem. Very real and very home hitting. My husband deals this way. I relate to those feelings as well as we do not seem to feel society's requirements. But he is paired being with society enforce much as he is not seen neither am I. I work endlessly to help him forgive his own self-jugdement. I praise him constantly. Are you sacrifice my own emotional, mental and physical needs. He thinks I don't see suffering in his turmoil, but every breath that I can ever thought that I have every work that I say every action that I take is centered around easing his suffering. And I do love him unconditionally. I do not see him as flawed or a monster, I see that it is fear in the anguish that leads to the frustration and anger. His expression of hopelessness. I see him very clearly. But his feelings of doubt, failing, of loss, call the loss of faith not only in himself hurting me as well. The wall he is built around himself to protect himself he has put me outside of. And all the people who chose to be blind to his suffering, for their own personal gain have blinded him, to the one person, who has sacrificed all that she ever was, and she could ever be. I will, I would, I do and I have sacrifice all...my hope, my love, and my faith, so that he may now that I see him! That he is valued and loved I'm not for what he does for me. However I loved unless I can do it he needs to not year at 8 to ask questions the right way to always be listening in the wind to answer when to shut up. As he blames me or why he feels the way he feels. That I caused this. And when I try to be there and make sure he is hurt he stonewalls me. He says I don't listen but you will not tell me anything as I. He decides for me what I want to feel what I want to hear if I want to care or not. And she chooses in his mind to make me a monster to the shutout. If it meant losing him, for him to love himself to see himself to accept himself, and I would give up that too. I love him for who he is not what he gives me. For the things I need from him he does not give me and I still love him unconditionally. My only suffering, is his unrest, his suffering. I know I'm not a man hits why you wrote the poem for men and many different things than women. So someone tell me how to make my husband feel loved. the house the constant praise, patience, the Non-Stop ready at the drop of a hat to attend to his needs, the apologies for asking wrong question, all of it just means that I don't love him I don't care about him and I don't see him. Once upon a Time my love and comfort and services that I provided him were enough to make him feel seen and accepted, and loved. And his love has always been conditional, I wanted to beat the person he wanted me to be. Just to be in his what's my joy, and to be loved by him with my privilege. Not to be mistaken with my expectation. The the acceptance of the world has high requirements, though different. Just as high for women as for man. The difference is I don't need to be seen, understood, or accepted by the the world. I have gone most of my life knowing the world has no compassion for me. Knowing that you world sees me as a list things I can and cannot do. In knowing this I still found happiness love and Hope. I accepted this is fact. I don't need the world. Even the people closest to me do not see me. And I can let that destroy me, tear me apart and turn me into somebody I am not. But if any one person sees me, even just a little... that is more than enough. I decide who I am and if it's good enough. And if you don't like it I don't need you. I will not let it push me into hate and fear no matter how hard it tries and it does. The only one that needs to know accept and love you as you. Anything beyond that it's a blessing.

Bro I'm literally in tears. Iv never heard words come from someone else mouth come from my mind ❤ Big love for all the kings 🤴

What a phenomenal poet! He made me feel like I was listening to an angel who knows and understands me better than I understand myself! I am in 'aw' and I would fall short to compliment this poet in every attempt!

This young man was on spot with what it's like to be a man in today's world. I felt everything he said. I've felt this my entire life. We carry the world on our shoulders and are still capable of loving, caring, and providing for women. Most of the time we don't get appreciation. Most of the time we get shit in return. We are capable of loving unconditionally, while they can only love conditionally. We love idealistically, while they love opportunistically. We have honour, loyalty, and integrity. They have none of these qualities. We make sacrifices and are willing to die for them. They sacrifice us, and sometimes even their own kids for their selfish desires. This is what it's like to be a man today. This is what I have experienced in the past 30 years. And then they ask, "Why are you so hard and cold? Why don't you feel anything? Why don't you care about my feelings?"

This has moved me to tears! Thank you for sharing this with us all xx

The truth most will never understand is most of us live lives of quiet desperation and endless struggle.

I’ve listened to this probably 10 times over the last year and it gets me every time. The pain is real my dude.

Yes, this poem goes on past the point of comfort, but in reality it never pauses and never stops.

Thank you for this , it gives me the ability to tell people how I feel just buy sending this for them to listen too because I feel like I will get judges telling them in person.

As a boy that couldn’t cry… listening to this as a man…. Now… I have…