Life & Expectations Poem by Marlon Tan

Every moment that passes in my life
I ask myself why am I alive?
Every face i see, every place I've been
Is another wistful memory forming within

The beauty of the world around me
as enticing as it may be
Has no meaning to my shallow existence
If my life is transient or full of petty subsistence

I deviate from the indistinguishable crowd
Only to find, my uniqueness cannot be found
I tolerate the words of my forefathers
Only to find my future a blur

I take heed of people's aspirations of me
so that they would let me be
But in the end this life is mine to live
And every second, every hour
Is something I cannot give