We give too much weight to people’s opinions
We have truly become society’s minions
Placed on our shoulders unnecessary burdens
Criticizing glares denigrating our every action
Trapping us in imaginative prisons
Strengthened with our own handmade battens
Now, it seems we’ve forgotten the foremost key
To living with ourselves peacefully
Our lives are not about what others think or see
We don’t have to cool in the mould blindly
In the end, alone we’ll face the consequences and when all is destroyed, no one will respond to our pleas
You wanna be an artist a writer, then, be
Medicine and Business are not the only faculties
Your choice should depend on your ambitions and abilities
If it takes you a step closer to your dream,
don’t be distracted by other paths gleams
Not only our big life decisions did they stalk
But started constricting how we should sit and walk
To be a lady, don’t laugh and always wear frocks
To be a man, never cry and never balk
Apparently there are rules for how we should even talk
But for how long?
This is just on so many levels wrong
Fortunately, you, my fellow, do not have to play along
Never be afraid to stand out among the throng
Swim against the tide, for you are strong
Sketch by: Mariam Ali Ibrahim
Unrestrained Me 