Modern Freedom

A satirical look at freedom that exposes how the world seems to think. The end of the poem reveals the real dwelling place of freedom. Inspired by a saying written by Anonymous, political activists.

Live your life.

Do not bother anyone.

Do not question authority.

Do not ask any questions at all, unless it is absolutely necessary,

and it won’t offend any small-minded people.

Never speak unless you are spoken to.

Live your life.

Do as you are told.

Follow the laws.

All of them.

Make friends, but don’t talk to strangers.

Try to navigate through that paradox.

Play nice.

Never speak out of turn.

Have a nice childhood.

Love your parents.

Love all of the adults in your family.

Respect your elders.

Never question any of their actions,

because they know more than you do.

Love all the other members of your family too,

no matter what.

Live your life.

Get an education.

Study hard.

Be a good student.

Keep your grades up, or there will be consequences,

in one way or another.

We don’t have room for people who are smart in other ways.

Conform.

Hide who you are,

and try to fit in.

Follow religion.

Never question any of the sacred text,

even when it seems to contradict itself

or promotes morally wrong things.

Do not lose faith. Ever,

even if your prayers are never answered,

not a single time.

Keep up with modern culture,

but don’t succumb to peer pressure.

Live within a world of paradoxes,

where there never really is a right decision,

but make the right decisions anyway.

Stay good.

Keep following the law.

Graduate from high school.

Grow up, be more mature.

Go to college.

Continue to be a good student.

Keep studying hard.

Graduate from college.

Forget about your dreams, they’re not possible.

Get a job, even though there’s no guarantee

that you will get a job in the field you spent

years studying on.

Hell, there’s no guarantee

that you will get a job at all,

but you better get one.

Move into a nice neighborhood,

because if you don’t, you are trash,

and will never amount to anything.

Conform.

Get married.

Have children.

Stay with that religion of yours.

Be good.

Remember those laws.

Watch TV.

Pay your bills, and your taxes.

Be a good citizen.

Try not to slip into depression as you waste your life away.

Listen to your political leaders,

and always do what they tell you to do.

Never ever question their authority,

even if they start to act like tyrants.

Work your a*s off,

until you are old enough to retire.

Save up for your kids to go to college.

Buy them nice clothes.

Discipline them.

Mind wash them until they have become like you,

conformed and “normal”.

Make sure they give up on their ridiculous dreams

and know their limitations in life.

Make sure they have friends.

Let them deal with their own real problems,

but when they cause you any small ones,

punish them.

Live your life.

Never become too overeducated.

The world needs workers, not thinkers.

Be nice to people,

get along with them.

Be racist, prejudice, sexist, or whatever you want.

I mean, it is how you were raised,

and we don’t need for anyone to be treated

as your equal, right? That’s just silly.

Work hard.

Retire.

Become old and bitter.

Fully realize that you gave up all your dreams long ago,

and that you wasted your life away.

Become even more bitter.

Enjoy retirement.

Go to a nursing home.

Get treated like dirt,

but be nice to others.

Live your life.

Now, as you breathe your last breath,

repeat after me, my friend:

“I am free”.

Because death is the only real

freedom that there ever will be

in this kind of society.

Author's Note

I am open to any kind of criticism, harsh or otherwise. We need criticism in order to grow and become better at what we do. I hope you enjoyed this poem, and I hope it made you think. If you were in any way offended by this poem, then I want you to consider how free you really are under the chains of modern society, and consider how much society restricts you and breaks your spirit. Try to compare this poem to how people are expected to live life nowadays. If you are still offended and still have something to say, then say it.