The Instructor Said | Teen Ink

The Instructor Said MAG

By Anonymous

   The Instructor said,

Go home and write,

a page tonight,

and let that page come out of you,

Then it will be true.

Langston Hughes



The world is in a state of racial confusion.

Being Black is hard -

being part White even harder.

You may say that you understand and

think that you do -

but you can't.

My history defines who I am -

my joy, my pain, my fears,

my sacrifices, my triumphs

ME.

And we don't share the same history.

Being Black I have to overcome many things:

all the hate

all the hurt

the present.



Free your mind they say -

end the hate.

But how?

when it is sometimes a part of

who I have become -

my only defense against the distress of

not being accepted for I am

But Why?

when our society thrives on

ignorance and supports the construction of

the walls that separate us.

Because -

Hate destroys the ones who hate and

we must all survive.

Being a teenager is hard. I try to figure out

who I am and

Who I want to be.

It's like looking in the mirror one day

and not recognizing

The person I see.

it is not easy to know what is true for you and me.

Because I am still trying to figure out what the

Truth really is.



Sometimes you may not agree with what I say,

Who I am or what I think -

sometimes I care.

But aren't we all striving for the same goal?

To just be who we are -

whoever that may be.

And do what we want -

whatever that is.

Who knows?

Maybe on our journey through life (together)

we will discover what it really means to be

you and me.



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This article has 3 comments.


i love this so much!

on Jul. 7 2011 at 2:51 pm
Live4literature SILVER, Homer, Michigan
8 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you do not love yourself, then who shall other than thee almighty?"
"Be like a postage stamp, stick to something until you get there"

You are very talented dear. I loved that this flowed, I could deeply follow every stanza, Great work!

on Nov. 30 2010 at 9:28 pm
katiethegreat, Buffalo Grove, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
I thought this was really moving as I am black in a white family (I was adopted). You got your point across well. The poem made your writing even more beautiful. But I'm curious, whast was your essay question?