Fan The Flames

~~~My first shot at a slam poem~~~(spoken word)

Girls you gotta realize
It's not the size of your busts
It's the depth of your mind
Because you know what?
Knowledge is attractive
It is sexy to be smart
Because girls you are your own, unique, work of art.
I mean, double standards are bringing us down
They say to dress less but they call us a w***e,
The system's so unsound I don't know what to do anymore.
So girls we talk less and focus on our tits, our zits, and s**t we're on the fritz
And girls we don't need to be the one to wait,
Guys don't need that power over us, we gotta change.
We don't wanna dumb down so dudes can understand,
We gotta push past the media and show them what it means to be a wuh-man.
Because no one wants their b***s to be their best asset,
Let's aim to be scholars, put ourselves to the test.
'Cause we aren't made to be some bling on your arm,
We weren't made to be here conjuring a storm.
Because girls you are worth it,
Your brains are damn sexy.
Spitting out rhymes about the system is perplexing
Because girls, you gotta claim your throne
You are a WOMAN, not an item to be owned.
Now you gotta relay the message, to show them that you're proud,
Because those that don't get it are truly missing out.

And boys
"Be a man" 
What does that even mean? 
They're setting more standards that no one can achieve 
I mean honestly,
What are you to do?
More brawn, less brain,
They're stripping you of being you.
And let's not forget that you can't have feelings,
No crying allowed,
Because that's for the women. 
I mean who came up with this twisted system?
Where everyone's struggling to fit in
But end up another victim.
'Cause like, who does this benefit,
"Being a man"?
Because women don't like men that treat them like crap.
Guys you don't need big muscles,
To be musically inclined, 
You just gotta have a little heart,
And (girls too) a forward thinking mind.
Don't follow the lead
Of the boys in magazines
They are faux, for show, 
And they don't even know.
We've all been forced to take refuge
But it's time we be rescued.
So step away from the status quo's
Because feeding the monster will only make it grow.
We gotta unite,
Girls and boys alike,
Because there's a miscommunication that we gotta bring into the light.
We aren't puppets, not girls nor guys
We need to vow we're gonna do something productive with our lives.

There are plenty of things that you
"Just gotta do"
But the one absolute is that you gotta be you
Because girls you gotta realize,
It's not the size of your busts
It's the depth of your mind.
And guys "be a man"
What does that even mean?
They're out there setting standards that no one can achieve,
The thought of it all is purely obscene.
So simply fan the flames,
And let us rebels lead.

Reviews

[Glen Yumang Manese]

There are plenty of things that you
"Just gotta do"
But the one absolute is that you gotta be you
Because girls you gotta realize,
It's not the size of your busts
It's the depth of your mind.
And guys "be a man"
What does that even mean?
They're out there setting standards that no one can achieve,
The thought of it all is purely obscene.
So simply fan the flames,
And let us rebels lead.

---
the entirety hits with much impact...
yet the last stanza just put the icing on the cake...
this is a really down to earth type of spoken word...
I was drawn-in from start to finish...
let it speak and let it out in the open mic...

[Riley Bray]

Thank you for those kind words! I'm flattered, honestly. I must admit my ego has grown a little since I wrote this...Haha. I've been hearing a lot of that comment from people all over, I suppose, because of that, I have to don't I? XP Thank you very much for the review it is dearly appreciated!

[Glen Yumang Manese]

you're welcome...keep it up...

[LunarDragon]

I'm shocked. This is really big. It's so true, so encouraging. I can't believe this is so good. I couldn't stop reading the words. I read it over and over. You are really a good poet.

[Riley Bray]

Wah, thanks!

[Sami Khalil]

"Because girls you are your own, unique, work of art.
I mean, double standards are bringing us down
They say to dress less but they call us a w***e,
The system's so unsound I don't know what to do anymore."

A very good message in this poem for the growing boys and girls and what should be their values and their priorities. Very wise indeed...:)..............

[Riley Bray]

Thank you muchly Sami. :)

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome muchly...:)..................

[Tai Ryens]

One of my most favored quotes from feminists (I am one as well, by the way) demands that we have to push for change, not stand idle and tolerate them. We need to fight them tooth and nail in the political arena until we can achieve true gender equality, not just the ridiculous double standard set forth by the majority of society.
You should bring this to the mic, you'd surely spark something among those that share similar perspectives.

[Riley Bray]

Ah yes, my feminist was showing a bit in this haha. (Frankly I added the stanza about boys mostly to make the poem gender neutral, though i do believe they need to know that being a man isn't or at least shouldn't be a thing, as I feel it oppresses gentlemen who find themselves to be gay). Honestly though, girls need to understand that leaving the subject alone isn't going to solve anything and watching other people take action won't work either. I'm glad the subject hits you Tai, it's always nice to be surrounded by people with similar political views, (though it is fun for the opposite reason in some cases, too haha).
You flatter me so with that last line! I would love to do that one day, I just need to work up a little courage. I was even thinking about recording it for here....Ah, well, maybe some day. :)
Thank you for the review Tai!

[Tai Ryens]

Exactly! I mean, advocates for the abolition of slavery didn't criticize and tolerate, they acted, condemned, and started an entire bloody war over it (let's not do that though).
Women's suffrage wasn't achieved by women that stood around doing nothing, it was achieved by the ones who weren't afraid to swing the proverbial political bat around the ring.
It seems that most of society still remains in the cycle of indoctrinating your children with thoughts that "men can't do this!" and "women can't do this, only this!" and establishing double standards to an extend. It's up to the advocates to break this, however slowly.
This isn't the 18th or 19th century anymore, we've all proved that the genders are equal on so many occasions, and in so many circumstances. There is no longer a cult of domesticity because that was horse radish, and there is absolutely no room for misogynistic attitudes any longer.
My pleasure, Riley.

[Riley Bray]

Precisely!!!!!!! Ugh I love how similarly we think.

[Tai Ryens]

'Tis always pleasing to find a person that shares similar opinions.

[Noah]

Amazing Poem hun! It's really inspiring. Preach it!

[Riley Bray]

Lol thanks hun. :P