For my first semester exam in 11th grade English we had to write a poem. The assignment was to write a poem from the point of view of someone besides yourself using the ways of society today. The hardest part was finding someone to write from their point of view. It took me awhile but I finally decided to write from the point of view of Connor Franta.
The reason I chose Connor was because the week I got this assignment was the same week he came out on his YouTube channel. I find this topic of coming out a pretty big deal in our society today. We hear about it on the news and read about it in articles in newspapers and magazines. These articles are filled with negative and positive views. In our society most people frown upon homosexuality but times are changing and it is not as much of a taboo as it was before. I tired my best to point this out in my poem and I hope that I got this message across clearly.
I also tried to clearly show that you should never be afraid of being you. No one is happy being someone they are not trust me I have been there. Whether you are gay, straight, Christian, atheist, etc. you should never have to hide who you are for others. Your own happiness in who you are is the only thing that should matter.
Since I chose to write from Connor's point of view I watched his coming out video about a thousand times. I do quote him in my poem and all credit of these quotes goes to him. So now that this has been said I want to share my poem.
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
The yellow fog has long settled
And more have come and gone
What has been done is done since you came along
I heard your song through the fog
I have written my own song too
My name is Connor Franta and this is what I have to say to you
Time now is like an open book
Some people read the pages without taking a second look
Others observe your every move
Like a predator that watches its' prey
Except we are all prey in this cannibalistic world
People always tell me be who you truly are
But how can I do that when they never are
I had to hide behind a mask of society's design
For fear of being rejected by my family and viewers at the same time
People do not like what is different
But things are constantly changing everyday
I thought I would be disowned
But maybe now different is okay
There was a time in my life
Where I tried to deny myself
I felt like there was no escape from my thoughts
I became tired from hiding and running from my true identity
So I decided to embrace who I truly was
I told my friend and I felt like I finally found myself
I will not let my sexuality define or confine me
I will be myself without society's "help"
Nothing can hold me back from being me
Especially now that I am open and not afraid
It's okay, you will be fine
There is no need to be afraid
You should love who you are
And never hold back your true identity because that is never okay
People do not like what is different
But things are constantly changing everyday
I thought I would be disowned
But maybe now different is okay.
Well this is it. I feel like this got my point across the best it could. I hope you liked it.
Also the epigraph is from a poem by T.S. Elliot.
