Working At It: A New Poem

I try
to be the man you need me to be
to be the lover you need me to be
to be the partner you need me to be
to be the friend you need me to be
to be the me you see in me

I try
to fight back
to beat down
to drown out
to push through
to let go
to rise above

I try
to honor you
to cherish you
to support you
to believe in you
to comfort you
to value you
to respect you

I try
but sometimes I fail
sometimes the night is darker than I believed
sometimes my head and heart don't agree
sometimes trying to make us better I make things worse
sometimes I am at a loss for words
but I try.

I try.