an education
Location
said the college application:
please describe yourself
in 500 words of less.
(do they know it’s supposed to be fewer)
smart. problem solver. motivated.
are the lies i’m tempted to make
smart. problem creator. disheartened.
are the truths i can’t be tempted to tell
do i really want to go to college?
i ask myself as i look through dorm beddings
do i really value education?
i ask myself as i stay up late to do homework
do i really have a social life?
i ask myself as i decline yet another mall invite
truth be told,
all i want to do in life is to be rich and famous
and attend all the glitzy parties.
but we all know that’s unrealistic
and i probably wouldn’t be able to handle
the paparazzi’s pressure on the shining starlet that is me.
but then i take a look outside
and see what’s really happening in the world—
global warming. terrorism. disease.
despotism. starvation. racism. poverty.
where does it end?
then i take another look outside
and see what’s really happening in the world—
conflict about the color of a dress.
fascination about the royal family’s lifestyle.
obsession for kale-centric diets.
love stories between human and smartphone.
where does it end?
it never ends.
if all i ever aspire to be is rich and famous
everything wrong in the world would still happen
as i attend all the glitzy parties i possibly can.
there has to be at least one person
trying to right all the wrongs there are—
and that one person would be me.
i can’t sit back and watch while the world burns
while children die from lack of clean water
while muslims are persecuted because of their faith
while people are hated because of their skin color
i have to do something to help those around me.
(help the world that helped raise me in a good environment)
and the way to do that is through education.
tell people about what’s going on outside
inform them of the wrongdoings happening
have the resources to start change
smart. problem creator. disheartened.
are the lies i’m tempted to make
smart. problem solver. motived.
are the truths i have to tell