The Measure of a Man

Poet’s Note: In this world, love often finds its way to beauty, innocence, and loyalty — yet a man must first prove his worth before he’s deemed deserving of it. This poem speaks for every man who hides his pain behind a smile, whose silence carries the weight of unspoken battles. — Susheel Kumar Singh "The Measure of a Man" — by Susheel Kumar Singh This world, so strange, rewards the face with grace, And children win with eyes so pure and bright; A loyal dog finds love in man's embrace, While beauty blooms beneath the tender light. But man must earn affection, coin by coin, And prove his worth before he’s deemed to feel; His weary soul no hearts or hands enjoin, His silent wounds no gentle words can heal. He breaks within, yet wears a steadfast guise, His smile conceals the storms he cannot show; The world appraises worth by what he buys, And weighs his heart in wealth’s unholy glow. So love comes free to all, both near and far— But man must toil to earn what others are. By Susheel kumar singh