A FOLLOWER POEM | Teen Ink

A FOLLOWER POEM

May 19, 2022
By JennyGuo BRONZE, Beijing, Other
JennyGuo BRONZE, Beijing, Other
3 articles 0 photos 0 comments

I live in a city with a huge population.

People seem to be crowded,

but they are separated by a great distance.

Until now I don’t even know my neighbor’s

name.

But I familiar with net friend in another city.

Every morning,

television report more and more good news.

Is that good?

Not sure.

But my mom telling me is good.

So it’s good.

I keep watching TikTok,

a girl who has a lot of fans,

every comment says that she is beautiful.

Is she beautiful?

No idea.

But all comments says she is beautiful.

So she is .

When I go to store,

I buy drink which the taste like gasoline.

Everyday I buy it,

because everyone in my school say this drinks is tasty.

It is tasty?

Positive.

I see the comedy which is very popular,

everyone laugh in the theater.

Am I laugh?

Definitely, 

my mouth laugh,

but my heart can’t feel anything.

An old lady falling on the ground,

surrounded by many people.

They use their phones to take photos, shoots videos.

Send to their friends,

but no one help her.

My right hand try to reach out to her,

but my left hand hold it down.

Am I right?

No idea.

But everyone does it,

so yes.

Am I a follower?

Yes,

I am,

I am a follower.

A follower for you,

for her,

for him.

Can you imagine what it was like to be a follower?

You can look at me,

no own feeling,

no own thoughts,

just follow,

follow everything you can imagine,

including your imagination.

Should we all be followers?

Yes,

we are,

we are followers,

no one can escape.

Am I lonely tonight?

I am not alone tonight because we are all followers.

I am normal tonight.

Are you normal tonight?

And I am your follower,

forever.

Good night.


The author's comments:

This poem mainly imitates the tone of the classic poem—An American Poem by Eileen Myles. I want to start with some seemingly ordinary, everyday things around me. Do we think for ourselves in life? Do we know what we want? Independent thinking has become a rarity in this age. And the reason why human civilization has developed so far is because of the strong ability to think independently. I hope that in life we can think independently about what we see and hear, instead of being influenced by the so-called mainstream.


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This article has 1 comment.


on May. 24 2022 at 6:21 pm
nooneatall BRONZE, --, California
3 articles 0 photos 111 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Hats off to the past, coats off to the future."
- American Proverb
"Why do you keep hiding behind your mask,
When even the scars formed by your mistakes
are you own constellations?"

Dang, you managed to put a follower's mentality into words so well. Your poem was thought-provoking. I was just thinking about this topic.