Raindrop Poem by Maya Hanson

Why do raindrops
conform to the crowd
Why do they
follow in each other’s footsteps
The first few tiny drops
they’re trailblazers
finding patterns on the window glass
But the rest
they follow
cause it’s easier
Falling faster
sliding down
crossing over
roads already made
Why is giving up
individuality
better than taking the risk
of falling
off
the cliff
Never understanding
why they’re following
Is it better to copy
hundreds of old paths
Instead of making
your own
I watch them
sliding down the slippery slope
fast, then slow
sure, then hesitant
I’m trying to understand
Why is giving up
individuality
better than taking the risk
of falling
off
the cliff
Am I supposed to try?
All my life I’ve been trying
Or should I be a raindrop
Skimming the surface
blindly continuing
forever a follower
I’m deciding
when suddenly
A raindrop
comes forth
This one
is special
it’s keeping
to the unbeaten paths
Two roads diverged
in a yellow wood…
Take the road less traveled by?
No, it took the third road
the one never traveled
the one no one saw
This one
is a leader
it has too many followers
to count
Its speeches
given throughout the windowpane
the small world it lives
capture crowds
listeners to spare
There’s no question
who I want to be
The rain has decided
for me
The window glass
was a crowd
of clones
until this one came along
This one
carved its own path
clearing the way
for the raindrops behind it
And there’s no question
who I want to be
The rain has decided
for me
I’ll be that raindrop
strong and confident
living on the edge
but living so much more
than the followers
I’ll be that raindrop
a thinker
a maker of new roads
a leader