Defying the social norms,
Being unapologetically yourself,

Not surrendering to the conventional ideas,
Isolated from the herd,
Not fitting in the society,

Becoming a social outcast,
The odd one out,
But if we follow as an obidient sheep,
We have the benefits of the herd,
Maybe socializing and validation,

We easily fall for - wealth,
Status, ranks, credentials, badge of honour,
People exchange their individuality,
For "Conformity",
Which becomes quite meaningless,
If we think outside of the "society bubble",

We need strength and willingness,
To be our authentic self,
We will be laughed at, despised or even punished,
Ridiculed and ostracised,
For not being one among them,

The price we pay for our non conformity,
If we don't stay in the social rut,
We invite social disapproval,

People who chose to stay single/unmarried,
The lgbtq and asexual,
Women living alone,
Childfree couples,
The mediocres,
People with simple dreams,
The minimalists, the unambitious,
The compassionate, the uncompetitive,
Just to name a few...

One who advocates sustainability,
Not conforming to capitalism,
That makes humans docile and weak,
Not succumbing to fast fashion,
Dumping piles in the landfills,

A society that condemns poets and writers,
As starving and moochers,
If they aren't encouraged how would they thrive?

Why cannot the society be more,
Compassionate towards these life choices,
Promoting inclusivity and diversity,
With tolerance and empathy,
Acknowledging it's a shared world,

There are alternative ways of living,
It's possible and given.
Unconventional family dynamics,
Loving in ways different than known,
What's the big deal,
Unless no one is harming another,
Just live and let live,
Must be the policy...

Being in solitude,
Remains the only option left for us...
Like in walden maybe,
Learning from nature and wilderness,
Or will we CONFORM from coercion ?

© cacti


#walden #writco #loner #philosophy #minimalism #childfree #single #poem #writcopoemchallenge #musings