Crying Skies, Rain And Discarded Memories

A TEENAGER'S TALE (slam poetry)

A TEENAGER'S TALE

It's not an overnight phenomenon,

It's more like a transition that never stops happening.

Like seasons but you don’t know when it begins and ends and like when the water in a river deepens,

And when the plains give away to the hills and cartoons to the pills.

It's not a birthday cake that's been cut and eaten and the next day is a whole new story,

It's the same story just a different chapter, like a building and its storeys,

Like a needle in a haystack but this is when u realise that buying another one is just easier,

And that the early bird might get the worm but some just don't sleep until its dawn.

And that it's ok if you dont believe in what your family does,

And if you like chances and changes and wanderlust.

It's not we who's changing just you who refuses to belive that change is inevitable,

And that not all my opinions and thoughts are debatable.

It’s you who keeps trying to live your life through ours and its difficult,

Difficult because anxiety is real and she's been my first love.

And that it's not okay to hate other people because their beliefs are different from ours,

And I know I do procrastinate and seconds become minutes and minutes become hours,

I know it's not easy to decode what you’ve been taught,

But sometimes we have to think beyond what we've been taught.

But if I can do it you can atleast try,

And its easier to hate but logic doesn’t always lie,

And the media doesn’t preach right cause sometimes it doesn’t even think straight,

And all these fights, aggression, lies and debates.

And maybe yelling doesn't prove anything but validate insecurity,

And a woman's genitals don't define her worth or purity,

And maybe boys are people too and patriarchy hurts not only the pinks,

And maybe in 2020 colours shouldn’t define a gender but that's just what I think.

Life's not an arena, or a stadium or an ice rink,

And it's ok to be conflicted, to be scared to dream.

And not all plans lead to the planned destinations,

And if life is a freakin job it’s ok to want a resignation.

And let's sympathise and empathise with what needs it the most,

Let's get back our minds and lost souls.

And do what makes us feel alive and lets go back to the survival of the fittest and not the richest,

Because I suck at math and I can still tell that a single man cannot earn a million dollars a year by himself.

Dear grownups it's not religion or sanskar, its pure fear,

That we will decipher what you don’t want us to.

And you had your chance you still have one, so why not you too,

Let's fix this system that hurts the ones who run it.

That's sad and awful and I'm being honest,

You’ve been through this and instead of telling us that you had it worse,

Why not make a change and make sure we don't lose what you lost?

And instead of broken mirrors and red rimmed eyes,

And all the not really heartbreaks and butterflies,

And doctors and engineers and sharma ji ka beta,

Let's understand that someone else's  beti isn’t that bad either,

And that the length of my skirt or the depth of my top isn’t who I am,

And I have morals but if you didn’t teach them to me them I don’t give a damn.

About what you think.

And every neighbourhood ki aunti was once a scared girl who didn't want to settle down,

And she had dreams and aspirations that never found,

Their way to reality and they never came true,

But aunti if you dont understand me how can I understand you?

But I try and I know we're not that different in our thoughts,

Maybe it's just our ways of expressing it are not.

As similar as we'd like them to be
And I do love traditons they are a part of me,

I love culture but maybe I don’t express it enough.

And you’ve been through this yourself you know that it's tough.

And enough with the girls what about the guys?

What if they don't want those muscles or that stud wali life?

What if they want to redefine what masculinity means to them?

What if they dont want to be surgeons they just want to pick up a pen?

And write what they want and don't tell me its an unstable career,

Stability may bring money and even some power,

And I know money is important and that money runs the world,

But maybe if we took down a few towers we'd all have enough.

What if pink vs blue isn’t even real and we're all just delusional,

And maybe there's two perspectives to a picture and there's more to life than attending lectures,

About things you don't like but if you do then that's fine,

Because what's life without passion and passion doesn’t always come from your profession.

Even if you say you enjoy it does that mean that you don't crave for something else?

A different life in a different time and a different place,

What if I tell you guys don’t always stalk girls?

And they don’t always think that violence is a declaration of love?

And what if not every guy is into sports or games?

And what if they're just freaking scared, do you find that strange?

Of what you ask me? Well I'll tell but
Maybe if you asked the guys that you know they'll explain it better,

Or maybe just put on a show and say that they dont care.

And my words are bullshit.

But deep down they know they've been both the prey and the huntsmen

And I know this is too long and I've digressed from the topic and this isn’t just my story but I did pen it down,

So I guess that kinda makes it mine for atleast now.

And for a stage that's for 7 years only,

A teenager's tale can be extremely lonely.