Von Beat Meyenhofer
What is the stuff young men are made of?
At first glance, you might take them for true heroes,
Sitting in pole position, ready to conquer the world.
They seem so daring, yet show a shaky side all the while.
Do they think they know everything? – They tend to.
Some try to run before they can walk
Cutting out that man and mistake go hand in hand
They talk down the relevance of detail – and fail.
Meanwhile, a new vitamin is being brought into play
It’s called “offering privileges on a grand scale”:
Young men are forgiven by their parents year in, year out
Excused by their best friends – of course! Why not?
Forgiven by their teachers time and again
Pardoned by their mentors simply all the time:
Oh gosh – the perfect world must have come upon us!
Some people think the lads be entitled to certain privileges
Just like little princes find theirs in cosy cushion cradles.
Instead of challenging the guys, the seniors pat shoulders
They pride themselves on coddling the boys beyond measure
And doing so, they put all hopes on a plan bound to backfire.
Young men must struggle and take their hurdles.
There’s no point in petty fighting left and right,
Without learning
Without yearning for
A splinter of a better self to be gained in each fight.
Whatever you do, young man, do it with passion!
Stay firm no matter how bumpy the road.
Reach out to others when you see them stumble,
Be ready to share the shoots of your experience.
Have faith in yourself, never put life onto the shelf!
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© 2023 Beat Meyenhofer
All rights reserved
Anmerkung der Textmanege-Redaktion: Auf besonderen Wunsch von Beat Meyenhofer haben wir sein auf Englisch verfasstes Gedicht veröffentlicht. Dies ist aber eine Ausnahme. Wir veröffentlichen ansonsten nur deutschsprachige Texte.
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