True Colors | Teen Ink

True Colors

July 2, 2011
By Laura_Oliver GOLD, Manchester, Connecticut
Laura_Oliver GOLD, Manchester, Connecticut
12 articles 2 photos 122 comments

The world is a stage
Shakespeare said
He was correct
To an extent—
The world is staged
Your true colors
Contained within
Inhumane bounds
The brush dips into the paint
Dances across the bare canvas
Seems so free, free to be
The artist you wished to be
Yet the edges of the canvas
Contain you
Your true colors
Still waiting to be revealed
Subject to criticism
I found that, the hard way
I saw the doom
Of the human race
Arguing over insignificant disagreements
Such trivial things!
We were fools—
Or so I thought,
And then came the
‘Good Samaritan’ that
The man saw, you know when
When I was in trouble
When my life seemed to be
Well
Slipping away, out of my hands
In both ways
And I had no control
No power over who I was
There are many
You must see
Many Good Samaritans when you
Need them
And I found that
The edge of the canvas
Is not
The edge of hope
The edge of the world
The end of hope, the world
So when in doubt
Look about, I say
Look about for the good in
Humanity
If you search with enough heart
You will find that good
If you look
In yourself
For those true colors…
When is your imagination
Your only restraint?
I looked to the world
Spherical, yet boundless
How we have swept our paintbrush
Across it
Good and bad
And I find no doubt
Left in my mind
That these colors we have,
Inborn and unstoppable,
Are not left to the jurisdiction
Of our fellows
But to ourselves
Our true colors
And so the answer to that
Well
Is to be decided
By you

The author's comments:
I wrote this poem while in the process of writing a similar story of the same title, and suddenly found myself unable to fully express my feelings about this topic within the limits of the storyline. Thus the poem! I hope you enjoy the idea as much as I did.

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This article has 30 comments.


on Jan. 16 2013 at 3:53 pm
In_Love_with_Writing GOLD, Easton, Pennsylvania
12 articles 0 photos 389 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13

Really cool. nice job! Can you comment and rate some of my work?

on Dec. 14 2012 at 3:41 am
HateKnuckle SILVER, Peru, New York
9 articles 0 photos 96 comments
I'm not much of a fan of free verse so I didn't really like it. There were just too many things with little or no association with what was going on. I would really appreciate it if people would check out my poem Because I'm Dead. Thanks.

on Jul. 7 2012 at 1:51 am
I strictly recommend not to hold off until you get enough amount of money to order all you need! You can take the loan or short term loan and feel yourself fine

on Dec. 11 2011 at 11:47 am
muna.najihah PLATINUM, Malacca, Other
25 articles 14 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
if life was given two choices, to become a writer or a character, I will choose to become a writer.
I have the power to decide what my life should be.

it is very true. it is simple to understand and not heavy to read. i love it. keep it up

Drakeon BRONZE said...
on Sep. 7 2011 at 6:48 pm
Drakeon BRONZE, Arlington, Massachusetts
2 articles 0 photos 1 comment
Thanks for being the first comment on my first of many to come published poems I really like this poem and it is thought provoking too i hope to read them all. thanks again for the support. :)

on Aug. 29 2011 at 8:58 pm
livelovesmile GOLD, Gaithersburg, Maryland
19 articles 0 photos 60 comments

Favorite Quote:
I am like a star burst. A juicy contradiction. I'm hard to figure out, but when you get to my center, your suprised! It's not what you thought it would be, huh.

I really love the imagery and flow of this poem! It ties really nicely together at the end. 

Please check out my poems "Captured By Reflections" and "The Girl Next Door" because I'm new on this site an really need feedback. Thanks! (:


on Aug. 24 2011 at 8:10 pm
stunstyle BRONZE, Novato, California
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
Don't let your dreams stay dreams

wow you are so amazing!!!! I love the line about life being staged :)

I would be so honored if you would give me some feedback on my new poem "My favorite Thing"


on Aug. 15 2011 at 3:29 pm
stardust-dreams PLATINUM, Las Vegas, Nevada
24 articles 6 photos 10 comments
I agree that this is classy, and flows well. I think I got a little lost towards the middle, wondering where the poem was going, but you were able to tie in the end with the beginning nicely. My favorite line is "Yet the edges of the canvas/ Contain you". I like the short lines as well. It gives the poem a rushing, fleeting, powerful quality.

on Aug. 5 2011 at 7:56 pm
Laura_Oliver GOLD, Manchester, Connecticut
12 articles 2 photos 122 comments
What? Effortlessly classy? That is extravagant!

on Aug. 5 2011 at 7:55 pm
Laura_Oliver GOLD, Manchester, Connecticut
12 articles 2 photos 122 comments
If you like this, you may like some of my other poems, including "When the Storm will Come" (which is the most similar) and "Love, Simply", a totally different poem with structured stanzas. Anyway, please offer feedback, which I would prefer to just telling me you did or didn't like it! Thanks!

on Aug. 5 2011 at 7:55 pm
bEllAhOPe BRONZE, Houston, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
\"Flying is simple... you just throw yourself at the ground and miss.\"

This is beautifully composed, and effortlessly classy. Nice work.

on Aug. 5 2011 at 11:48 am
savetheplanet PLATINUM, Anaheim, California
45 articles 9 photos 564 comments

Favorite Quote:
It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Wow. That's really good I liked the symbolism and you way with words.  Criticism? I don't really have any.  Perhaps something you might try on another poem is playing around with stanzas.  The stanzas don't have to all be the same, that way the pattern of the stanza could mean something, or you could single out words to emphasize them.  Anyway, hoped I helped!  Could you look at my poems please? :D

on Aug. 3 2011 at 8:08 pm
Angeleyes12 SILVER, Hatfield, Pennsylvania
7 articles 0 photos 17 comments
I totally fell in love with this poem! It is so descriptive. You did an excellent job on this! Please take a look at my poem called Snowflakes :) Thanks

sdfjkl said...
on Jul. 31 2011 at 8:09 pm
This is awesome.

on Jul. 31 2011 at 11:51 am
ohheyyyelli SILVER, Woonsocket, Rhode Island
5 articles 3 photos 178 comments
I like the end, and the flow, and the imagery. Good work[:

on Jul. 31 2011 at 11:51 am
ohheyyyelli SILVER, Woonsocket, Rhode Island
5 articles 3 photos 178 comments
yes! it does[:
would you mind checking out my poem "Nothing"?

on Jul. 30 2011 at 9:52 am
ErisRose DIAMOND, Ashburn, Virginia
50 articles 1 photo 81 comments

Favorite Quote:
Omnia vincit amor et nos cedamus amori- Love conquers all let us yield to love
Sweat Dries, Blood Clots, Bones Heal, Suck it up and dance!
If they give you ruled paper, write the other way

this is really amazing, I loved it. Check out some of my work if you get a chance! :)

on Jul. 26 2011 at 8:26 pm
Mimi15 PLATINUM, Belfast, Maine
49 articles 0 photos 73 comments

Hey.  Umm.. I love this!

Do you mind checking out one of my poems (: thanks!


on Jul. 20 2011 at 11:00 am
ElleNicole BRONZE, St. Louis, Missouri
2 articles 0 photos 107 comments

Favorite Quote:
"My role in society, or any artist's or poet's role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all."

This is really really good! =) Nice work!

Maybe check out my poem, 'Change'? I'd appreciate it if you could rate/comment. Thanks!


on Jul. 19 2011 at 1:05 pm
SecretFlame PLATINUM, Portland, Oregon
20 articles 1 photo 373 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I have a life. I just choose to ignore it."
-one of my friends

Really great!! The shortness of the lines and the continuing theme maximize the poem's strength. The description is amazing! I loved it! Could you please give feedback on my poem "We Have a Voice"? Thanks! And wonderful job! Keep writing!