Last among equals

“But what are they saying about me?” Image source: Painting by self.

I have changed the title a million times,

its body, reworded, rephrased, re-framed.

Life, these days,

lived with the fear of making mistakes,

of annoying the currents and the exes,

of being ridiculed in public,

of being screenshot.

Freedom of what, did you say?

I didn’t read the terms and conditions,

only like everyone else,

and went with trust;

signed it, sealed it, took it to my heart.

My mother reminded me to be careful;

kept saying, bad things will happen for us only,

God is quiet when it comes to us only.

That’s so negative ma, why would you think that?

I’m an equal, just like everyone else,

I can be myself, just like everyone else.

I can make mistakes,

I can stutter and still be taken seriously,

I can be all that I want to.

Um no, that can’t be.

Work harder, smarter, better.

Live a life of fear,

of either the masters,

or the demons that he has let loose,

in the name of merit.