Fitting In

It's about a set of parens who don't accept the daughter they have and are instead seeking to make a new person out of her.

Time moves on, Life changes.

Best friends become strangers.

Parents don't know their own daughter

and wonder if they ever really loved her.

 

They see dyed hair and new peircings

but miss the look in her eyes.

They see corsets and metal hanging

and look past the girl trapped inside.

 

How long can their judgement bind?

How could they be so blind?

 

She lost her childhood to their screeching,

their lectures, she called preaching.

It's a wonder she survived.

Each time she died a little inside.

 

What kind of parents get a swan

and want an ugly duckling instead?

their smiles are frozen on their faces,

strained in so many places

and she starts to see red.

 

She's not one of those perfect christian daughters,

With straight A's,  someone who can walk on water.

 She's not as straight as an arrow, or as pretty as a doll.

But she's stil something special, She's out thinking them all.

 

Yet they still have to ask her,

does she want to meet a good boy

like a preist or a pastor,

say yes they'll jump with joy.

Say no and they'll look sadder,

but sadness leaves room for anger

and they're shaking their fingers in front of her face.

 

How could she date another woman?

Take up a new religion?

What would the neighbors all say?

"Well," she says, "I'll go away."

 

Now it's seven years later,

And they're all a little older.

Parents wait with baited breath

for her plane to arrive.

 

Her hair is much darker,

her face a little haunted

but she's still the same inside.

 

She's stubborn but forgiving,

with an iron will for living

just how she decides.

 

She'd had her wedding ,

one coven leader and two brides.

Time for her seperate worlds to collide.

 

They should have expected it,

They raised her after all.

But duckling is top in Vogue this time of fall.

 

All the same she was a swan,

They screw this up she won't forgive them.

She's given them plenty of chances and them some

to accept the life she chose.

And as every good parent knows:

Focus on the child inside and not the clothes,

Heal their hurts and let them know,

Because that's going to be the last thing to go.

Part as friends, don't part as foes.

 

In the end will it be worth it,

to lose your only child

to some monster within your heart?

Just accept her it will be a start.

Just accept me...can't you try?

Reviews

[Annalisa]

It's hard not being what your parents expected... It's not that they are looking for an ugly duckling, all parents want a swan, sometimes it's hard to see that something unexpected is just as much of a swan as something that they thought they wanted. Most kids grow up thinking "I'm going to be different, I''m not going to be the kind of parent mine were" but they do so expecting the children to be just like them which never happens.

I love the girl's courage in this, the fact that she didn't buckle under their fears and disapproval. Many would have. This was a lovely poem. Good job hun.

I did see one awkward moment, how about changing "can walk on water" to "someone who can walk on water", as it is right now it sorta contradicts the surrounding material. But other than that lovely.

*HUGS*

[alesuriko]

Interesting poem, I liked reading it. For the most part the flow and rhythm was great and the rhyme was really good. However, there are some parts where the rhythm feels a little awkward and can be improved upon. Also, you spelled "priest" wrong in the seventh stanza and you used "them" instead of "then" in the second to last stanza.

Otherwise, this was nice to read. I'm glad I never had to go through anything like that with my mother but I understand what it's like with my grandparents almost. I'm generally accepted for good grades, etc, but I'll never be as good as they'd want me to be. My grandmother also highly disapproves of my tattoos and calls them disgusting so I'm constantly lectured. This is a great piece to be able to relate to, for anyone not just myself, and especially those children who grew up in a hetero-normative society that demanded perfection. Good poem.

[Kait]

I love that! I connected and understand quite a few parts. That is the part about parents and giving them chances. I understand a lot of what you probably felt but I definately won't say all of it because our different reasons would alter a lot of the responses. Great job! I especially loved the part,
"It's a wonder she survived.
Each time she died a little inside.

What kind of parents get a swan
and want an ugly duckling instead?"

[crashandburnplz]

Just about every line I read after I was like, 'Woah. That's pree' much ME.'
Not many writers can do that to me.
So congrats! :]

&&All in all, this was a really great poem. :D

[We are young.]

This is absoulutley breathtaking, it seriously almost made me cry, I LOVE everything about this. Great job

[Onyx Sky]

I am really being honest when I say this really blew me away. I love this poem so much. I like how in a sense it reads like a letter, but is still in poetry form. I feel you really allow people to connect to this even if they aren't gay/lesbian.

[Xavier Honre]

Great job with is! I can feel the pain and meaning behind every word. I'm sorry you feel this way! Congrats on winning!

[poet2angels (lynda)]

Amazing poetry!
This is a lesson...
Beautifully penned ...flow is perfect as well as the rhyme and emotion and contest is excellent

Very touching
TY for entering!
Lynda

[r]

wow.............i am at a loss for words........... this is amazing

[Tay Mo :)]

This is...amazing. Really. Its hard pleasing your parents, trying to do everything right just to make them happy instead of yourself, but yet we all try.
Good job.