Man Enough

Jonathan Valania

Man Enough


I used to think being a man

meant holding it in.

Carrying weight without shifting it.

Suffering without sound.

Fighting,

even when I didn’t want to.


But now—

manhood looks different.


It’s brushing my son’s hair

without flinching.

Crying during a movie

without shame.

Making pancakes

for no reason.


It’s choosing not to yell,

even when I could—

especially when I could.


It’s knowing I have strength

and not needing to prove it.

It’s apologizing

without losing ground.

Walking away,

when all I’ve ever known

is staying.


I am still a man.

Even with the trauma.

Even with the therapy.

Even with the days I still shake,

and the nights

I still pray for peace.


Maybe more so now

than ever before.

 

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Embers

 

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Letters I'll Never Send

It started with evidence—court documents, voicemails, and text messages meant to prove what was done behind closed doors. But somewhere in the quiet aftermath, it became something else. A record. A release. A slow, sacred beginning.

Letters I’ll Never Send is a poetry and prose collection drawn from the wreckage of an abusive relationship. These pages hold what was never safe to say out loud—fury, sorrow, confusion, love twisted by fear. It’s not a story wrapped in resolution. It’s what healing sounds like when you’re still in the middle.

The print edition includes exclusive poems and reflections not found online. A portion of proceeds goes toward supporting survivors of domestic abuse.

This book isn’t just for the ones who escaped.

It’s for anyone learning how to live after.