Monday, April 23, 2012

Caged

So often I find myself sitting at a desk in school, mind wandering, soul searching, and completely detached from whatever words are pouring from the teacher's mouth. I find myself saying, "I don't want to do anything anymore." But then I step back, and I realize I could never be more far away from the truth. There are so many things I yearn to know, experience, learn, and try. There is an infinite amount of things I want to do, but there is only a limited amount of opportunity.
Shackled.
Locked up.
Caged in.
I am stuck living a pre-cut pattern. Wake up, go to school, do your homework.
No time to paint, no time to explore, no time to plant a garden or learn a new skill.
Only time to work. To earn a grade.
Only time to get an A, pass the class, get on honor roll.
We are locked up, I am locked up, in the prison that society builds for each one of us so willingly.
7:00am each morning; wake up, go to school, do your work, eat only when I tell you, no doodling, no headphones. Fix your hood, pull up your pants. Do what I tell you, and don't you dare forget to pledge allegiance to our flag. Don't forget that we are a free country, you can do what you want, believe what you want, think what you want, as long as we approve of it first. Oh, and definitely don't forget that you have to be here.
You aren't given a choice.
Not a real one, not one with any options.
Only success and failure are there to chose from.
Freedom is an allusion.

Down,
down,
and
down

Goes any desire to branch out, to be different, to experience life in a way different than what society had planned.
Too tired to fight back.
Too exhausted to forge a new trail.
Too accustomed to following mindless demands.

I want to learn.
I want to experience.
I want to understand.

But I don't want your understanding, I want my own.
I don't want to read in a text book, I want to live out my lessons.
I don't want to follow your schedule, learn for your tests, fix the holes you punched into society.

Unlock my cage.
let me explore.

You say you want to help me reach my fullest potential, but all you have done is clip my wings.

Let the bird out of the cage.
Take a risk.

Let me free.

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