Wasted Potential

Poem by Sarah A Selim

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Where does it go?
For years I sit and wonder where it has traveled
To what ends has it walked
In what oceans has it swam
What blood has it watched drip into streets
With nothing but a tear
In acknowledgement
The potential
That I was congratulated for
Told I was superior
Told I was meant
For something greater
But the definition of greatness
Is chosen by them
Without fail, it is and always will be
Money…
Their definition
That decides what humanity is
That decide who
Deserves humanity
That decides who is human
Their definition
That decides what intelligence is
That decide who
Can be intelligent
That decides who is intelligent
Their definition
That decides what success is
That decide where
Success must be achieved
That decides who is successful
Their system
That keeps you
Sitting…
Silent…
Scared…
But never
Successful
Their system
That pushes you
Slowly
From your path
To theirs
Their system
That gets you to tell yourself
That somewhere, down the road
You will speak for your people
You will fight for your people
You will die for your people
But until then
You shall sit
Sit and wait.
Sit still, sit quietly, sit obediently.
Sit until you forget the feeling of your legs touching the ground.
Until you forget the purpose of your misery.
Until you forget why you listen to droning lessons.
Why satisfy those undeserving?
Why wait for the world to recognize you?
Why wait to recognize the world?
Stand and wait.
Stand stiff, stand strong, stand uselessly.
Stand because you have a duty to the world.
A duty to the people without power.
A duty to the land without strength.
A duty to the government without purpose.
Without you, they fall.
Without you, they disappear.
But until then, you shall sit.
 
(Qur'an, 2:286). لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
 
"God does not burden a soul with more than it can handle"
 
You would not have been given shoulders
If you couldn’t handle
The weight of the world

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Sarah Selim is a young Egyptian American artist and writer. She is currently a student and has been published in Coneflower Cafe, TeenInk, and CelebratingArt, and her favorite part about creating is sharing her vision with the world.