I Am Not Alone | Teen Ink

I Am Not Alone

January 25, 2011
By KiraKira PLATINUM, Cardiff By The Sea, California
KiraKira PLATINUM, Cardiff By The Sea, California
35 articles 0 photos 217 comments

Favorite Quote:
Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and above all, pity those who live without love -Albus Dumbledore


I wear black, sure.
I wear fingerless gloves, sure.
Sometimes I like to wear a ratty black skirt, sure.
My favorite shoes are my black leather combat boots, sure.
I put safety-pins on my black tank tops, sure.
I’ve dyed my hair black with some streaks of red, sure.
What’s wrong with that?

Don’t call me Goth like that.
Don’t look down your nose at me.
Don’t flip your pampered hair and walk so haughtily away.
This is who I am.
I am Goth, sure.
But I am not a freak.

So what if I paint my nails black?
Yours are painted too.
What does color have to do with it?
So what if the make-up I wear is heavy?
So is yours.
You hide all your flaws behind that mask of make-up.
I express myself with mine.

Don’t call me Goth like that.
Don’t look down your nose at me.
Don’t flip your pampered hair and walk so haughtily away.
This is who I am.
I am Goth, sure.
But I am not a freak.

Yeah, I listen to dark music.
I don’t listen to it because I am myself dark in nature.
I listen to the beauty in the lyrics, to the emotion and sincerity in every word.
Yeah, I read dark books.
I don’t read them because I feel like I want to relate.
I read them for the truth in their words, the other side of the story.

Don’t call me Goth like that.

I am an individual.

Don’t look down your nose at me.

I am strong, independent.

Don’t flip your pampered hair and walk so haughtily away.

Face the fact that I’m flipping you off – that I just don’t care what you think.

This is who I am.
I am Goth, sure.
But I am not alone.


The author's comments:
This is a work of fiction, but this is a statement that I would like to make about individuality.

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This article has 6 comments.


on Mar. 29 2011 at 8:15 pm
KiraKira PLATINUM, Cardiff By The Sea, California
35 articles 0 photos 217 comments

Favorite Quote:
Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and above all, pity those who live without love -Albus Dumbledore

Thank you for commenting! yeah, at my school (we're kind of artsy and weird awesome people for the most part) these people kinda stick out, so I see them alot, and I just laugh when they try to act all cliche, which helped inspire this.

on Mar. 29 2011 at 4:10 pm
Angelnight16 BRONZE, Heuvelton, New York
1 article 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"i used to be normal... until i met those people who i now call my friends."

i really really loved it, i found myself picturing people in my own life when you spoke about the "normal" people, and how they hide behind masks of makeup.

on Feb. 8 2011 at 9:59 pm
KiraKira PLATINUM, Cardiff By The Sea, California
35 articles 0 photos 217 comments

Favorite Quote:
Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and above all, pity those who live without love -Albus Dumbledore

I'm not trying to put down any one style, and I feel like a lot of people would relate to this age-old battle of Goth vs. Popular. I find that so many people are afraid to express their individuality and this is a call out to those people - just saying stand out for what you believe in, and we will stand behind you

on Feb. 8 2011 at 9:03 pm
FeedTheBirds SILVER, San Diego, California
6 articles 0 photos 82 comments
Right. But I liked that you pointed out that people who wear makeup in any color or amount, or perfume, or ANYTHING have their own style. Or they are participating in a style. If you say that one style is specifically saying "Cuss you", it puts down anyone who isn't that style (in this case, Goth). I like the poem's beginning premise that styles are choice, they are plenty, and they are varied. but none are superior.

on Feb. 8 2011 at 9:00 am
KiraKira PLATINUM, Cardiff By The Sea, California
35 articles 0 photos 217 comments

Favorite Quote:
Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and above all, pity those who live without love -Albus Dumbledore

Then I guess i'm making two points then: One about it just being a style, and Two that this is who that person is - Goth - and that they refuse to back down from who they are just because someone doesn't like the way they look

on Feb. 7 2011 at 11:37 pm
FeedTheBirds SILVER, San Diego, California
6 articles 0 photos 82 comments

I love how you flip fashion stereotypes on the "normal" people, pointing out how you both wear makeup, clothes, etc to express yourself.

I don't like the last few lines "Face the fact that I’m flipping you off – that I just don’t care what you think.

This is who I am.
I am Goth, sure.
But I am not alone."

I feel like this goes against what you proved in the rest of the poem. That Goth isn't "flipping" anyone off - it's just a style. And I don't think you need that last three lines. I think the message has more of a clear sting if you leave it on "Dont flip your pampered hair"