2018 Annual Literary Contest
2nd Place
Poetry
Kaylyssa Tuz
Preeceville, SK
They told me who I should be
Without asking my opinion.
The eyes of society stare down at me
An ever-present, condescending judge
Of morals and ethics.
They aren’t wrong in their belief
But they aren’t necessarily right either
These grey areas leave room for speculation ―
To be justified and forever changing
Because the mind does wander.
What are my options?
Where do I stand now?
Who do I want to become?
Why does this matter to me?
Is this how I want to be remembered?
Within reasonable bounds
There are perks of being different
And having unique perspectives ―
To be that sliver of chaos
In a world that tends to favour order.
So, yes, they told me who I should be
Without asking my opinion
And I thank them for that.
Instead of numbly following their instructions
I have the opportunity to create something new
