Home
Young Writers Project
be heard
  • READ
    • Recent Table
    • Daily Read
    • Recommended
    • Recent Comments
      • Table-Users
    • YWP Newsletter
  • CHALLENGES
    • Weekly Challenges 18/19
    • Writing Contest: Invasive
    • Live Challenges
  • WORKSHOPS
    • Writing on the Roof
    • Events
    • Voices for Change
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • Anthology
    • Newspapers
    • VPR.net
    • VTDigger.org
    • The Voice-2.19
  • ABOUT
    • YWP is ...
    • Contact Us
    • Permission Form
    • The YWP FAQ page
    • Site Help
    • Community Leaders
  • Donate
  • LOG IN/JOIN
Previous Post
Next Post
Aug 09
poem 2 comments challenge: Cliche
Icarus Blackmore's picture
Icarus Blackmore

Cliches

#sos17

Cliches are the broad brushstrokes
of assumption, masquerading as reality.
They are the stories we cling to,
in order to hide our cruelty.

Cliche is
The damsel in distress,
Yet she is merely the front for,
Our assumption women are helpless.

With every stroke of a pen,
That creates something cliche,
We enforce existing problems,
And make them seem okay.

Cliche is
The knight brave, and bold,
Yet he does not cry or feel,
Our way of making boys cold.

Cliches are nothing but cold comfort,
Empty promises that if we're a certain way,
If follow and enforce these norms,
In the end everything will be okay.

Cliche is
The evil stepmother or witch,
Yet she was made to feel jealous,
Before they first called her bitch.

But she is one of many villians,
All alike in their distaste for societies ways,
They're betrayal? Being too different,
Or just want to have a say.

Cliche is
The dragon, who lurks in the cave,
Just too different, to exsist
So he must be slain.

These stories we tell,
For all their lessons and morals,
Have just too many cliches,
To have characters that’re whole.

Cliche is
The knight, who rescues the damsel,
And together they get their,
Hetromatic, happily ever after.

Cliche is a word we assign,
When we do not want to face,
How through stories we code ourselves,
To judge based on, gender, sexuality, and race.

 
  • Icarus Blackmore's blog
  • Sprout
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted: 08.09.17
Icarus Blackmore's picture
About the Author: Icarus Blackmore
MSG / CONTACT
RECENT LOVES
  • We don't want to
  • Silence Reigns
  • Maria Antonia Rap
  • Me Studying
  • Who I am
RECENT COMMENTS
  • I should be able to SKYPE
  • Thank you GG,
  • Adelle,
  • Thank you,
  • GG,

Other Posts by Author

  • Language (words)
    I love language.the way it sounds,the way wordsroll off the tongue. Read more
    in poem 2 Comments
  • Tap. Tap.
    Jillian sat, lightly tapping her pencil against the wooden desk. Read more
    in fiction 0 Comments
  • The Silence of Noise
    Burned Down-An old motel lay,Just a pile ofAshes and soot. Read more
    in poem 0 Comments

Discussion

Comments

  1. Grace Safford
    Aug 11, 2017

    This is so good. Honestly I was just sitting here thinking to myself "YES" the entire time I was reading your piece. You're so good at identifying these heavy social topics, and you're so good at crafting a piece that not only addresses them, but uses writing to grab the reader and makes sure they read from the first sentence to the last sentence. I mean, the way you use rhyme and create a circle image with the knight and the "damsel" was so great.
    —GS, Intern

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. Icarus Blackmore
    Aug 11, 2017

    Thank you. I love writing pieces like this about social issues, I'm glad it turned out well.

    • Log in or register to post comments
  • about
  • how to partner
  • for teachers
  • support us
​YWP  |  47 Maple St.  |  Burlington, VT  05401  | [email protected]  |  (802) 324-9538 
The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself. -- Albert Camus
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • Google+ icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Vimeo icon
  • YouTube icon
  • E-Mail icon