Standing Still | Teen Ink

Standing Still

September 7, 2009
By Lycas BRONZE, Keene, New Hampshire
Lycas BRONZE, Keene, New Hampshire
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

We long for freedom, to break away
The world to conquer, our strength to display.
But we let life drag us along like so many rag dolls
We fear, we wish, we beg, we crawl.
We refuse to live, we refuse to be free,
We forget what we once longed to be.
Freedom is not a condition, but a perception,
We create our own chains of self deception.
We must choose on our own to not merely exist,
We need to take charge, not let ourselves drift.

We tie ourselves to the life we have lived, to the past,
And cringe at the opportunities of a world so vast.
Our conscious limits our freedom, tells us to conform,
So we seek the shelter of acceptance to weather the storm.
We are shackled to the past that we allow to define
Our place in life, so we simply resign.
We hide from our freedom to choose our own fate
We wish and regret until it’s too late.

We take our identity from around us, not from within
We hide from our fear in someone else’s skin.
We blame society, forget our freedom to choose
Our own path in life, and we try to excuse
The way we confine ourselves to what we have once been
Our will and ambition are all worn thin.
We soothe our anxiety by seeking acceptance
For all that we do, and move with reluctance
To new heights to improve the selves that we hate.
We limit our freedom, fear tells us to wait.

We allow someone else to take responsibility
Then we complain and seethe at our inability
To choose our own path and do meaningful things,
Hating the life that our weakness brings.
We hide from our freedom in dread and routine,
At birth and at death and the time in between.

We wish for a hand to guide us, to show us the way,
Then contradict ourselves and push away
All external control, and then contradict once again
When we cower from fear of rejection and pain.
Death comes to all, whether they hid or were brave.
Any fear that once was has no effect on the grave.
Life has no meaning but what we give it,
For the end is the same no matter how we lived it


The author's comments:
This poem was influenced most by the works of Katherine Philips. I especially enjoyed the structured rhyme schemes of her poetry, so I decided to emulate that structure in one of my own poems. This is my attempt to voice the inhibitions that keep us from reaching our full potential.

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This article has 11 comments.


jl637 DIAMOND said...
on Jun. 3 2017 at 7:46 pm
jl637 DIAMOND, Livingston, New Jersey
72 articles 0 photos 16 comments
absolutely incredible

eduarda said...
on May. 10 2017 at 2:59 pm
eduarda, Gjilani, Other
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
Love it !!!!!!!!

jl637 DIAMOND said...
on Jan. 4 2017 at 4:15 pm
jl637 DIAMOND, Livingston, New Jersey
72 articles 0 photos 16 comments
your poem is amazing, keep writing!!

on Dec. 14 2014 at 5:52 pm
AllSoPlayfulWhenYouDemonize BRONZE, Richmond, Virginia
3 articles 0 photos 228 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Our passion is our strength."
-Billie Joe Armstrong

Love it!!!!

on Sep. 6 2013 at 12:07 pm
I love it and its amazing. I actually thought about something similar while reading this.

Presley B. said...
on Aug. 20 2013 at 8:37 pm
I've written a few songs in my day but this one is a realistic song. It's not quite truly narrative but ti tells an amazing story about human nature. I'm really glad i read this!

on May. 18 2013 at 7:22 pm
Poison-ivy SILVER, Park City, Utah
5 articles 5 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
Music can change the world, because it can change people.

My friends and I are in a small band and are looking for new original song lyrics for our next gig.  I was wondering if we could use these for a new song.  All credit goes to you of course :)

on Mar. 31 2013 at 5:57 pm
KenyaLove41 GOLD, Dallas, Texas
16 articles 0 photos 84 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Day, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent." ~Ambrose Bierce
"Nothing is Impossible, the word itself says 'I'm Possible!'" ~ Audrey Hepburn
"Good writing is only bad writing revised"~ Unknown

Amazing. Simoly inspirational.(;

on Feb. 9 2013 at 10:53 am
Positivity_At_Its_Finest DIAMOND, Morrow, Georgia
56 articles 2 photos 148 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is a stage, get on it and perform your best act.

this is so true!!!! well said.

on Jan. 11 2013 at 3:29 pm
Saintz-Flam3Rose PLATINUM, Jacksonville, Florida
26 articles 0 photos 35 comments

Favorite Quote:
Do not follow those who follow others for they are only followers themselves.

This has to be the best poetry ive read since joining teen ink just from reading this i wanna show my true artistic abilities to the world thank you.

on Sep. 28 2009 at 7:16 am
Phoenix22 PLATINUM, Danbury, Connecticut
30 articles 0 photos 30 comments
This is amazing and has such a strong meaning! Great job!