I stand against the crowd

[You can also hear an audio version of this poem here]

I stand

against the crowd

I stand out from the crowd

I am an individual

odd

different

singular

misfit

awkward in my comfort

edgy in my skin

alive in my own little way

I live my say

I give the best shot I can

every day.

I stand against the crowd

of wasters who fritter

their life away their way.

I waste my life my way

I fritter my days into

the oblivion I fashion

every step I say.

because I am who am

me

condemned to be myself

I stand out from the crowd

comfortable in my discomforting way

that comes from every pore

every sore

every score of my expressions.

It’s my art

the heart of my song

the liver that cleans my spleen

seen in all my glory every time

I stand against the crowd

Each and every difference

friction

grating

unconforming

uncomplying

understandable me.

See that fella

hovering on the edge

the one who isn’t fitting in

the one with the shifty eyes

the glint of his own

You can smell

he’s an outsider

a weirdo

an awkward one

an individual

heart

a body of imagining

power

wealth

stealth

scheming to survive

the crowd

the collective view

the “what we all think”

thinkers.

I stand against the crowd

I stand out from the crowd

away from the crowd

proud of my own way

fiddling the melody

composed of notes

I’ve assembled from the crowd

playing the game I’ve invented

the rules I’ve annunciated

predicated on the shoulders

of giants who have fallen

in battle

against the crowd

castigated on shoulders

of heroes that have died

for the cause of being

themselves.

I reject the way of the crowd

every time my heart pumps

blood from the flat of my soul

to the peak of my imagination.

Consternation

I will cause

conflagration to

instigation of the self

opinionated

author of my fate

creator of my faith

born to be wild

not filed away in a box

I defy

I stand against the crowd

that would

categorise me

classify me

entomb me in place

where they could ignore me

where they could make me safe

from causing a splash

from making a difference

from changing

the course of history

the dreams of others

the Universe.

For such a cause

I stand against the crowd

I stand out from the crowd

to welcome you

fellow traveller

fellow awkward person

follower battler

for your way.

For your way is my way too

your way is yours

my way is mine

our way stands out from the crowd

We stand against the crowd.

We stand up for ourselves

We stand who stand.

Against the crowd

Unto death.
_________________________

Notes:

 

The Rebel Creatives Manifesto

“We are #RebelCreatives

#RebelCreatives are those who rises in opposition or resistance against an established force or opinions. People who voice their opinions, want to make a change and promote social good.

Everyone is a creative. You share your creativty everyday through the way you walk, talk, interact, share and care.

 The #RebelCreatives project will officially launch with epic 30 back-to-back broadcasts on Periscope. Each broadcaster will get 15 or 30mins to share their creativity about a certain topic.

The broadcasters will share their passion, knowledge and understanding of a particular issue through your creativity. “

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• The first draft of this poem was first composed in Cork City in 2013 or 2014 – it was inspired by AJ Leon, Melissa Leon & their Misfit cause.
• Related poem is here