'Lad! Be This! Be That! ' Poem by Janine Alyssa Navarro

Did the books erase you
From who you were meant to be
“Lad! Be this! Be that! ”
But you buried your nose
Among their precious covers

Would you lose your life
Within these colourful pages
As they painted your mind
With crafted realities
Coaxing you into a simulation

Have you forgotten your name
Or chose to never respond
To the label that left you gray
Wishing you were a soul
Called upon with honour and grace

Then break loose from this trap
Be the character in your stories
Search for the home that loves
Don’t be a piece of who you want:
Be the complete whole

Step into this world, strong and found
Prove them wrong, every one;
Life has been breathing upside-down
With your heart mended
There’s no excuse left to pretend