Self-Relfection - #dVerse #Xporation #vianegative #selfrespect #respect #negationpoem @YvetteMCalleiro

 

Hello, beautiful readers! Today, I'm merging two different poetry prompts together: Reena's Xploration #365 and dVerse's Poet's Pub prompt. Reena shared a video about self-respect and encouraged us to write a poem about it. Over at dVerse, Bjorn invited us to write a poem using negation. 

Poetry using negation is new for me. The idea is that you can describe something by defining what it is not. I originally tried to write a syllabic poem, but it wasn't working for me, so I switched to free verse. 

Self-Reflection

I was not born

to fit into a well-defined box

of obedience and submission

cowering to the whims of others

I was not raised

to give away my autonomy

to permit others to decide my paths

and limit my greatness

I was not taught

to follow the loudest voice

or the most popular or charismatic

for they hide their flaws well

I will not live

my life hiding in the shadows

cowering to antagonists

accepting the calamity and chaos

I will not become

a member of mob mentality

nor one who buries her head in the sand

who ignores the atrocities around her

No, I will live my life

with strength in my convictions

love in my heart

compassion for those around me

and respect for all,

especially myself.

Would you like to join in on these prompts? Click the links below:

Reena's Xploration Challenge #365

dVerse Poets Pub Prompt