Poem #2 on the theme of listening. This one is about beliefs and the conflict between believing and listening.
Believe
Believe in something,
Anything,
They say when you're young..
So you do.
And then they say,
How could you think that?
But you told me to believe
in something
and stick to my guns.
Now you criticize my beliefs
and someone else criticizes yours.
I try to keep my mouth shut,
while inside I am stunned, hurt,
disappointed, crushed.
On the outside,
I grit my teeth
and watch as
your defense of your beliefs gets louder.
The negativity builds,
I have choices,
Continue to believe in
the things that fit my personality and ethical code.
Waiver and switch so I
don't make waves,
avoid negative fallout.
Fight back,
with words or physically.
Keep on believing
and keep quiet about it.
Keep on believing
and quietly speak my truths.
Keep on believing
and occasionally shout my thoughts
not worrying about who listens
or what they think
or what they will do in response.
The point is
we are taught to
and we want to
Believe in something
and have the confidence
to hold onto that belief.
It's a double edged sword.
If I stick with my beliefs
and you stick with yours
and we never agree
Where are we?
What happens next?
