The Cage | Teen Ink

The Cage

March 9, 2015
By LoloG SILVER, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
LoloG SILVER, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
9 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and to be free from it." -Veronica Roth


Built from the fears that chase her every night
Bars standing gray and cold
Blocking her from the very life she wants
She is drowning so deep in fear that she doesn’t know if she will ever escape; caged

He fights day after day trying to keep his own heart from being broken
He breaks her down and makes sure its her, not him
Fear of the jailers who always watch with scathing looks
The jailers
Always ready to throw someone down if they don’t fit
Caging

We stand on the outside of the bars
Watching what would happen to us if we stepped out of line
Scorned by the jailers who say we will never be as good as them
We are helpless
Helpless because we know that if we make one move to help
We will fall
We will be put in the one thing we fear most
Locked away behind bars and never set free
Waiting
Waiting for the moment we can maybe set foot outside of this endless cycle

This cage holds all those who aren’t up to standard
Those who aren’t perfect
But the cries of those trapped aren’t just in our ears
They are everywhere
They are in our hearts and in our minds because we
We are the ones who scream
The cycle exists in our hearts
Embedded there from years of trying to be perfect
We watch
Waiting for the year we can finally leave this place
The cage


The author's comments:

This is actually a form of slam poetry, and I wrote this about the "weird" kids in school, the ones who don't live up to the imaginary standards that exist in every school. 


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This article has 2 comments.


on Mar. 13 2015 at 4:19 pm
howitends BRONZE, Cleveland, Ohio
1 article 0 photos 8 comments
This is really really powerful. I would LOVE to see it as spoken words, I think it would just make it even more meaningful. This is beautiful and I really can't give you any criticisms because the whole thing is wonderful. Way to bring to light a serious issue in such a powerful way!

Beila BRONZE said...
on Mar. 12 2015 at 11:15 pm
Beila BRONZE, Palo Alto, California
3 articles 0 photos 516 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." -Mark Twain

Reading this, I can definitely imagine it becoming very powerful spoken word. You're right; the cycle has become embedded in our hearts, and I'm really glad that you cast a harsh light upon the bystanders as well. This issue is less about bullying than it is about standing by.