Standards Poem by Deluke Muwanigwa

Standards

Daily
i gaze upon a standard
The illusive way of doing things
and come away more perplexed

For, it seems as humans
we are bound by artificial constraints
as if life is an elite club of sycophants

The dressing
The manners
So called etiquette
tinged in antiquity

And yet on the day of birth
I came out naked
a beautiful specimen of humanity
till i noticed the creep to standards

I was to dress a certain way
Say good morning everyday
Pray
and i couldn't be gay

It's like a conspiracy by those with loud mouths
those who wish to profit from conformity
pushing for uniformity

Pushing for discrimination
without recriminations
in the guise of maintaining standards
So much so that diabolical fringe societies were spawned out of these standards

You had to be of a certain race
certain face
colour eyes
these lies
causing so much grief
Only war bringing relief.

In the 21st Century the bigotry persists
Racists
Using money and influence

Shifting the confluence of expectations
In the guise and dogma of uniformity
conformity
A standard.
Fast
Living in the past.

C.16032022