This is a poem that I wrote in my senior year of high school for a sociology class. Our assignment was to write a slam poem about a societal issue we were passionate about. This is a powerful statement I chose and still choose to make about the contradictions and judgments our society voices towards those who don't fit the "mold" that society has over time constructed; a "mold" that examplifies a somewhat restrictive way of life that its citizens should aspire to model their own lives after, as well as encouraging citizens to feel "comfortable" being themselves. The thing is, having one "mold" or one way of how a person should act and feel doesn't and will never work! In recent years, I have fortunately seen and heard of people becoming more accepting towards this idea of there being multiple "molds" in society, as well as people becoming more open about others creating their own "mold". What a far more interesting, healthy, and satisfying life for the people who consciously and persistently live for themselves in such a way. By writing this poem and re-reading it years later, I have begun to understand the significance of my intentions in creating it.

The Box

Our society is enclosed in a four-sided box.

That's all of the space we have to explore,

To create,

And to wonder.

You either make yourself fit in the suffocating spot you are assigned,

Or you become an outsider who is not accepted,

welcomed,

Or wanted.

As an outsider you are seen as someone who is trying to change the neat, strategic, and careful blue print of our society.

We are forced to believe that we are supposed to fit into one type of person.

An entire box of carbon copies.

But how is this possible when we have an entire country filled with people who are living symbols for its diversity?

Why do we ostracize the differences in our society?

Why do we target those who choose to challenge themselves and literally “step out of the box"?

Why have we been taught that we should hide the side of ourselves that is unique from everyone else?

All of these questions have answers that outline a robotic and four-sided box society;

A society with no depth or meaning to its people.

There is no chance for anybody to grow as a person and learn new things, because our society frowns upon originality and prefers that you keep your thoughts and ideas to yourself.

Don’t share your knowledge so that it becomes bigger than what the box allows.

Don’t think too much so you think yourself outside of the box.

Don’t do too much research so you find information that you don’t agree with.

Focus on yourself so you don’t influence others to disobey the ideals of the society.

I think I’m finally going to wear what I want, talk about what I want, and listen to what I want!

I think I’m finally going to wear what I want, talk about what I want

I think I’m finally going to wear what I want

I think I’m finally going to

I think I’m finally going

I think I’m finally

I think I’m

I think

I

Everytime this happens I move slowly back into the box where I feel everything “unordinary” about myself detach and remain outside of the box,

Already forgetting about me.

I move slowly, slowly into the box;

The box where I belong.

-N