Life In the Fast Lane

She sits on the bathroom floor 
Hiding behind a tightly closed door 
Afraid that prying eyes will see 
What society has forced her to be 

With fingers pushed halfway down her throat 
On the remains of dinner she silently chokes
The taunting cries of her classmates in mind 
Loudly calling her fat all the time 

Just a size ten but not a three 
Like the girls in magazines you see 
Thighs that need to be as slim as a boys 
Boobs need to be as large as flotation toys

He sits and stares at his pale skin 
Apparently white is out, tan is in 
Long hours spent on a tanning bed 
Risking skin cancer to fit in instead

Only sixteen, muscles not developed yet 
Need to be leaner and stronger he frets 
And so the need to be more than he is drives 
To bottles of steroids he soon arrives 

The school bell rings, all the kids scatter 
Except one lonely girl that seems not to matter 
Classified as poor by the labels on her jeans
Not worth socializing with by those that have means 

The parking lot is filled with such flashy cars 
Kids talking on cell phones, their heads in the stars
Gucci sunglasses draped across their nose
Life as an stereotype dawns clear and slows

Everyone wants to emulate a great big star 
Society tells them it's no good to be who you are
You have to be better than everyone else you see 
The thinner, the tanner, the richer, the better you'll be

Girls should be blond, blue eyed and demure 
Sexy and seductive, rich and not poor 
Boys should be muscular yet tanned and lean 
With smiles so white they blind when seen 

Everyone needs to drive a fast fancy car 
Designer clothes are the very best by far 
For all those that don't fit the wonderful dream 
The world doesn't even see them it seems

Too much hype splashed across billboards to the young 
Expectations are too high but are haphazardly slung 
Into the schoolyard the hype does quickly spread 
Feeding egos and turning them into bullies instead 

Those that have more and who fit the desired mold 
Hassling those that haven't reached the gold
Next thing you know there's a kid with a gun 
Trying to silence the voices of everyone 

Then we wonder what happened to him 
Well the truth is, he just couldn't fit in 
Too many stereotypes not enough understanding 
Life just became too absolutely demanding
Copyright © | Year Posted 2006

Poem

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