So I believe that people really need to express themselves without fear of being judged (but I kind of need a reality check.) So I wrote this... piece and, quite frankly, I'm not exactly sure what to do with it. I want to perform it or read it or something, but I'm still not confident in it. I was really inspired by Sarah Kay (this is her website: http://www.kaysarahsera.com/.) For those who don't know her, she's SUPER amazing and even though a lot of people won't understand or "get" her poetry (we played a video of her in my English class, which is when I first saw her perform and , like, half the kids in my class went "huh?") I really love it and I totally understand what she means. Anyway, so I wrote this piece (I think it would technically be considered poetry, I honestly hate the word "poem" because it makes me think of a first grader trying to rhyme something with orange.) And I feel that it's supposed to be spoken, however, A) I have never done spoken word poetry B) I haven't rehearsed it C) and even though it makes me sound like a hypocrite, and I hate hypocrites (man, am I a walking contradiction) I'm not really sure if I'm quite ready to put myself that far out there by posting a video of me reciting it, so I will give you the written version.
Superficial, fake, ugly, pretty, strange, normal, skinny, fat, smart, stupid, boring, loud judged/
I have lived in and will continue living in for the next few years/
A teenage wasteland where those are our guidelines/
Where we are put into boxes defining who we are/
We are sorted like the pile of old clothes nobody wants/
By our looks, our size, our color/
We are separated and put with those that we match, stuffed in little boxes, labeled, and then stored in the attic for the next few years/
Until someone blows the dust off our cardboard jail cells and pulls off the labels and allows us to roam free/
But for some of us that person never comes/
And another one, named Insecurity seals those who are too scared of freedom into their boxes/
With duct tape made out of every name they’ve ever been called and everything they’ve ever done wrong/
And an army of the free try to open this casket/
But no, an army is not strong enough to save a single soldier held down by herself/
And the army loses its battle and goes home/
To the brightly colored houses and the children who will never have to conform/
But the deserted soldier can only fight alone
And if she chooses to, she will win/
Against those who discarded her, like old clothing/
Against those who labeled her/
Against those who picked her up and shoved her in that soggy cardboard box that smells like boiled cabbage and old rag mats/
Even against Insecurity/
And she can break out of the shell that they have molded her to fit into/
But only if she wins against herself.
Okay, so for those of you saying huh? right now, it's basically saying that we are all stereotyped and labeled based on what we look like. And until we are ready to break free of those stereotypes and expectations and define ourselves, we will continue to be "boxed into" who we are. Some people will realize that or have already realized that or are realizing that right now will "roam free", but others who are still afraid of the opinions of others will let their insecurities control them and the only person who can let their securities go is that one individual. And the part about the brightly colored houses is when you end stereotyping in your life.
Also, ten points to whoever caught my George Orwell reference. For those of you who didn't, read the book (1984, I read it in 8th grade, it's kind of confusing, but the concept is awesome.)
Hint: smells like boiled cabbage and old rag mats.
No comments:
Post a Comment