an education

Thu, 03/05/2015 - 23:14 -- elibali

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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

This poem is about: 
Me
My community
Our world
Poetry Terms Demonstrated: 

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