Be Yourself (For Sarah) Poem by Danny Draper

Be yourself, that is all you can be.

To be one's self
To be yourself
To drive the car you're in,
To live the life you have,
Not crushed by the imposed desires of others
To own, control and reconstruct you as they would
Dismissing your hopes and dreams
For the sake of imposing theirs,
Sanctimonious and self-righteous
Diminishing unique individuality
In an attempt to enforce
Some vague ideal representation
Of you that is static and withering,
Ignoring the dynamic rush of life
And it's course of growth and adventure,
While they faultless,
Perfect and personally ineffectual, are
Beyond reproach.

Be true to you
Regardless of external approval
This one life does not require validation
It is valid by your existence,
Be kind to others but
Do not be trapped by their ingratiation
To insinuate themselves within your sphere,
Especially by the reduction of others.

Be free of obligation
Despite righteous indignation,
Liberty is yours to make choices,
Be true to yourself
Free from obsequious bonds,
Faux smothering care
And a perverse sense of duty,
Choose direction because you want to
Not because you feel obliged, as
This will only lead to loathing and heartache,
Do not succumb to
Manipulation by others or acquiesce
To placate their feelings or suit their agenda
Especially at the cost of your happiness and self respect.
Many such people are empowered by controlling others
By denying them the opportunity to control their own destiny,
And denouncing their failure by denying
A sacred right, as they jealously guard their rights
While condescendingly asserting authority and are
Mortally wounded when the individual
Defies the provocative attempt at manipulation
By asserting their rights.

This battle never ends
Freedom to live one's life with self determination is never won
The individual must be vigilant
And always prepared to fight for their assumed rights
And personal freedoms.

Those opposing such freedoms
will come to respect the steadfast individual
Or will part unsatisfied and unfulfilled at their failure
To assert their will and reconstruct
In their own image.

Perhaps a truce or rapprochement
May come about when with indefatigable defiance
The individual emerges from the struggle
With the antagonists' grudging respect
And the parties accept each other by their differences.

The struggle of the individual is endless,
Defiance a permanent state
Of assertiveness and personal strength
As the core, but
Remember to always be true to you and
Be yourself, that is the best you can be.

Danny Draper 10/9/2013