I Thought I Had To Be Perfect Poem by Aimee Rozen

Where did so many of us get that notion?

Did we get it from parents who hoped we would make up
for all the empty spaces in their own lives?
From teachers who took for granted everything we did right
and focused on our every mistake?
From religious leaders who told us the story
of how Adam and Eve broke one rule
and were punished forever?
Do women get that message of perfection
from movies and fashion ads,
from actresses and models,
with figures they can't hope to match?
Do men get it from relentless pressure to sell more,
to earn more,
and a society that mocks the losers in the Super Bowl
for being only the second best football team in the country?

How good do we have to be?