Before entering college, many people I knew in high school participated in what I will now publicly coin as “The Unfollowing Wars.” Eager to create new image, and establish one’s new self as someone separate from a former, less mature, less independent self, many people I knew would cleanse their image the best way they knew how: through social media.
For many, social media sets the stage for how they would like to be seen in the public eye. And, after all, it’s hard to become a whole new you when there are people in your life, or in your feed, with knowledge of who you were to remind you of who you presently are. It inhibits growth to an extent. With that in mind, I can fully respect the desire to disassociate and create a version of yourself that you believe will be better equipped for such an important and life-altering event namely, college. Thankfully, The Unfollowing Wars didn’t hurt me as much as it would’ve a younger me, so I’m grateful to have that degree of security at this stage in my life.
For me, entering college didn’t mean I had to unfollow a bunch of people right away (I did that later), it meant changing my mindset & opening myself up to new people, opportunities, and experiences. From this, I’ve gained a tremendous sense of fulfillment, and have been increasingly creatively inclined. Writing poems had always seemed outside of my safety zone. I love writing with my whole heart (I mean, I’m here), but I deemed myself inadequate when it came to expressing myself poetically. Now, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ve got to let myself grow and develop as a writer—even if it means making mistakes that will later pain me in reflection. So, the following poem describes what I’ve felt & experienced in college up to now.
College
Mya Michele
feeling like cotton candy to the mouth on a fair day.
the blue aura of the morning
invites an Abrupt serenity, lulling the Anxious buzz of Invisibility.
the Future impending—
with the clarity of a radio call exceeding 500 feet.
Outside,
glacial cadence at an inclined height
parallels omniscient Pressures of an elder.
& Sharp autumn winds
refresh a Warning
of October snow.
you are:
a young, Existentially-driven mind
ruled by
an Inventive energy
teetering between
listlessness and Fervor,
questions of Justice,
internal Fights of your inevitable Mortality &
catchy rhythms of a bass guitar.
the Divine breadth of the World
mystifies the walkway to your salvation
leaving you with
Amusing cryptic glances meant for a crush—
an undetected cue of affection
mitigated by
platonic hand holding at crowded parties
that hold the same Restorance
of a ballad before a Breaking point
this is the End of Everything
Before.
and the beginning
of Now.