Spoken Word PoemĀ written by: Marie Rosalina D. Valencia (Grade 12 HUMSS Quartz)
[Road sign used: !Danger! Falling Debris
The figures of speech used for this( Allusion, Anaphora, Anthypophora, Apostrophe, Polysyndeton and Metaphor)Ā have been italicized]
Today it is day four hundred and something, whatever, itās not like the numbers really matter
Iām stuck in that age where thereās a modern plague but Iām no long-blonde haired girl living in a tower
I woke up today and I realized how I have been following the same routine every single day
How my home is like a prison and my bedroom is the cell, and in it, I stay
Where most of the time I just sit on my bed, bored, staring at the ceiling fan
Wondering how come I can recall when this thing began?
Other people would say āBefore this, life used to be so normal, so simpleā
While Iām here trying to think about when the events in my life were ever normal
It was hard to get used to this way of living at first-I didnāt overreact, weep or wallow
Just longed to breathe the air that got through my windowĀ
I adjusted to the system, so did my friendsĀ
Even if it took us 7 months to see each other again
I miss them dearly and I think about when we could all hang out againĀ
But I know that being safe means maintaining some distance
Just glad that somehow, we all remain in touch, keep contact
Most of the time, I am alone in my room, not really alone or lonely
Familyās a room away if I am in need of companyĀ
I find it weird how I donāt seem to question the things that frustrate meĀ
Like these restrictions donāt really annoy me
Neither could wearing a mask be so suffocating
But I think about the thoughts that pop up inside my head, I think these thoughts could drive me insane instead, I think with that slight possibility,
That I am convinced that I am slowly, driving myself crazy
I mean, am I? Could I be? Is this what the pandemic means to do with my mind? Means to make me crazy? I-I think so.. But at the same time, I donāt really know..Ā
I guess Iāll use this opportunity, to tell the truth, give someone my piece of mind with the things I have observed, about anything and everything, to bring me peace and help me sleep well tonightĀ
I think social media is good for entertainment but no matter how one person sees it, itās too toxic
Thereās a clash between the posts of the privileged and unprivileged, and itās sad to think how one can outweigh the otherĀ
How come the moment people become famous, they donāt act like themselves, they act like theyāre above everyone else once they have everything easier?
Or how discussing about politics can be so controversial and everyone else is interested to know, if Iām on team A, or team B, when I find it best to not involve myself in that kind of conversation
Iām not convinced by anyoneās claims about the other, for Iād rather wait and see team A and team B settle their arguments, draw a conclusion, compromise than to fight and figure out who is really right when learning to work alongside one another should be the real topic of discussionĀ
Since when did the person I support-celebrity or politician, determine if I can or cannot be someoneās friend?
When images and videos are edited, they become humorous, part of the amusement, theyāre indeed, part of entertainment,
Yet when the jokes get out of control, and people begin behaving violently, and they start cyberbullyingĀ
I tend to ask how is it so funny? How can people find it so humorous? Should they keep on laughing?
And since when was it okay to openly exploit children, if the parents didnāt want the media to show their kids, why do some willingly expose them?
I think parents should teach their children to enjoy their youth more without worrying about their appearance in the eyes of their peers, or other people, and not to fear where theyāll be in a year
School is just a blip, doesnāt matter what school anyone goes to, as long as theyāre getting the proper education they need from it
Like when did the name of a school or university determine the job Iāll have, after I finish another 4 years of studying?Ā
When did my report card, when did my grades determine how smart I am? How good am I at something? Other than academic related activities?
The education system is flawed, I think it should focus more on teaching kids how to prepare for the real world, when they turn 20 and need to help pay rent, or taxes
Or that falling in love doesnāt mean rushing anyone who opposes
Or that the friends someone has made, will stay, and some will eventually drift away
Like my sunflowers-My lovely sunflowers! No matter how much I took care of you, your petals still fell, and you wilted away anyway..
I used to be that kid who had a lot of dreams, so I set goals to achieve them all, in any way I could but without having to exert effort or work hard for my dreams to come true
I am older now, and Iāve learned that sacrifices are made, they are important, and I have to say goodbye to everything I have ever known or knew, truth is my perception is skewed
The world I live in, although it is full of wonders, and beautiful places I am yet to visit, I am yet to see, I am yet to discover, and beautiful people I am yet to talk to and meet
Has both made me excited and nervous, for its beauty can be oh so overwhelming
At the same time, there is ugly to it-beings living in dark places, by ugly I mean character-wise, not how I judge other people based on their features, and Iāve got this fear that
Whenever I meet new people, I have to wear a mask (not literally), a mask that hides who I really am-Iāve built walls around my heart, as if it were made of stone, to keep me safe and protected, especially from the pain of the past. (My heart is made of stone)
This is an organized compilation of the thoughts that have been running through my mind- my view of certain things, of people, of the world-all just my opinions, this is how honest I have been, for a year and a half, ever since I have been stuck in quarantine.