Privilege Poem
Mick Sullivan
I
take it with me everywhere I go.
To
friends’ houses, on dates, to parties, and sports events.
It
is not an object, it is a label.
A
design found on shirts, pants, hats, and jerseys.
“Prep
kid, rich kid, and Daddy’s money.”
SPA
students carry a name with them,
Along
with their own.
One
to be proud of, and yet one they feel ashamed.
Harder
to fit in, among public school peers,
Like
walking around, head under a “dunce” cone.
SPA
students only get a short time
To
change a predetermined notion, about who we are.
We
hope for a fresh start.
A
chance we rarely receive,
And
even more rare--
Do
we chase that one chance.
Mick- This starts strong when you focus on the moments when you feel labeled, when you're aware of others awareness of privilege. The ironic 'dunce' cone could work well, but isn't developed yet. The last stanza feels less clear. Do you mean those few moments you get when meeting new people to 'prove' you're not a 'rich kid' before they slam the label on you? It's not quite clear. There's good energy here, but you need to push farther. More showing will help. Create a few moments, describe the feelings of this process.
ReplyDeleteThis poem of yours stands out to me because I feel these labels as well, I feel like you could be a little clearer in showing how the conflict of being proud and ashamed instead of just standing it
ReplyDelete