The Unstickler

by Catherine Fu

People’s patterns feel like rules:

The same motivations, reactions, expressions.

Rules that no one sees yet all are trapped in.

That dogma. How boring.

In my search for excitement I got lost

In this world where conventions rule morality;

Where very few share that vision

Of courage, freedom and compassion.

Snap out of it! I screamed

Silently, I chose loneliness over conformity,

Boldness over serenity. 

I chose to be free - and being free means never quite belonging.

‘Chill’, someone told me,

‘You have too much intensity.

Life is about the little things, 

So kick back your feet, and stop this search for meaning.’

I smiled, and said nothing.

I want to be normal. I want to fit in.

But being normal can mean being blind,

Judgmental, unthinking, and unkind.

Don’t get me wrong: I, too, laugh

At banter, memes and sarcastic humour.

But no one’s face is seen through this screen

And all of us are in danger.