Why Would I

Sometimes I get perplexed, otherwise I feel excited - all while I safely watch this world through my shelter. I am currently navigating my mid 20s and God I get this urge to rebel against the (mis)order. Here is a poem, sharing a tinge of my desire to break out of this shell, that I sometimes feel enclosed in.

"Why would I

Run after set standards of beauty,

To find exclusivity in being pretty

When everyone will age one day

Only to look the same, come what may

Why would I

Want to be fair, rich or weigh light

When none of these give a true delight

If everyone strives for only their present to be the best

Who is ever going to care for the rest?

Wouldn’t you run after values, that truly define you

And take a look at your interests, and what may refine you?

How you choose to hide or what soothes your soul

And where do you confide or what is your goal

Every old person advises, like a sage close to mortality,

Do what you want, don’t stick to societal mentality

Then why do I box myself everyday,

As I gradually turn into another cliché

I want to rebel, I want to shout,

To be grounded and know without a doubt

Who’s got my back as I navigate through hardships

And collect my prize along the way, as I try to get a grip

I want to be secure with myself, have my sentimentality fulfilled

And be defined by everything beyond just my face or my build"

-Aarushi