Freedom {{english Assignment. Tell Me If You Like.}} Poem by Gracie Goodluck

They say I’m free,
And I can do what I want,
Believe in whatever I choose,
With the freedom to the feelings that I want.

Explain to me how this is freedom,
How when I say what I feel,
People tell me not to speak.
How is it freedom,
When I am persecuted for my beliefs?

I am free,
but it’s just a name.
Like Sally or Lou.
It doesn’t mean a thing to you.

Explain how I’m free,
When I’m always hiding who I am.
Living in fear, of people saying I’m wrong.
How am I free, when I’m always pretending to be someone else?

I guess a part of me is free,
The person I pretend to be.
They’re free to their feelings, ideas, and thoughts,
But only because it fits into what everyone else wants.

How is it freedom,
If the real me is always hiding in fear?
Oh yes, I’m free.
Free to hide, to never be understood,
To pretend to be the person that you want me to be.

So this is my freedom,
of hiding in the dark.
If this is how to be free,
I’d rather not be.