Truly Open Your Eyes
BY CHLOE KIM
Looking around, I can see people
Going about with their daily lives.
Some look as if they don’t have a care in the world,
Others look as if they have the heaviest burdens on their chest.
Each person passes like raindrops gliding down a window and blur with the countless others looking around. I see what society approves of:
The latest technology such as smartphones and watches,
The trendiest hair cuts and clothes,
Hoping that if we have these things, society will approve and like us.
Stop for a minute and truly open your eyes.
Can you see those people with a million worries?
A thousand thoughts restlessly being processed in their brains?
Some try to convince themselves that everything is alright,
So they add a bounce in their step and paste a smile on their face.
Some can’t hide their emotions and seem to drag their feet to a destination,
And want to collapse and give up.
These are the same people I drive or walk past.
Can you see past the bright lights of society?
Thoughts and every action influenced by the latest trends,
Always thirsty for attention and want to be loved and liked.
When will they realize that the people who are the closest to you
Have never needed to see your brand new phone or closet to ever love/like you?
Attention has been given to you by these people who have impacted your life.
I used to always be in a rush and only looked what was the easiest to see,
Now, I am making an effort to see,
Instead of being on my phone and trying to find ways to be liked…loved….approved by society.
I feel as if I am noticing many things I should have sooner.
I notice a mother holding her child’s hand and walking, beaming brightly.
I notice that when the rain stops beating against my window,
I can see everything covered with dew and it seems to symbolize hope and new beginnings.
I notice that my friends and family seem to have their eyes only on me,
And have never judged me and have the most beautiful smiles and laughter.
I’m still trying to become a better person every day
I still have a long way to go, after all I am fourteen!
However each day I try to
Truly open my eyes.
About the Author
Chloe Kim is fourteen years old and she lives in Boston. She wants to become a better person every day and this poem is about her journey to do that.
HYPERNOVA LIT 