Literary Art by: Ma. Alyssa Therese S. Manalang
My Answer
By: Thunder
A or B?
Staring at the blank sheet of crisp paper,
Produced by the fibers of a woman's predestined eternity,
How long must I fail to remember the scornful glare of society?Â
For they handed the pen to shade the circle of familiarity,
Pressured to sign my name to prove one’s worth and loyalty,
Must I remain a puppet of another person's reality,
Instead of creating my own foretold legacy?Â
Should it only be applauded if I choose a family?Â
Surrounded by the sound of laughter from my own children,
The joy of teaching them to finish what could have been,
Whilst living through their tomorrow instead of my own withering present.Â
And what if I want to stand up on my own feet,
To trace a career path of honing this dream and ambition,
Working through day and night to become an unforgettable memory,
Even if it may be deemed as part of the minority.
Why are the choices limited to only A or B,
Can’t there be a space where these exist in perfect harmony,
The success that comes in different forms,
A or B, A and B, whatever I wish, perhaps it's called C.Â
Not bothered by pressure and stress it brings,
A choice that uplifts and never drags down,
Just focused on what I want, not what I need to be,
Not simple as it seems to be but makes my heart leap.
And if the right answer is not found within the options,Â
I am finally making it right.
And if the right answer is what makes me happy,
I am grabbing my pen and writing what it should be.