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The following poem was submitted by Scott West, a teacher at Olson Middle School in Mauston. It was written by student Caitlin Heitman. Scott wrote: "When I talked with Caitlin Heitman, the student who wrote this poem, she felt that kids should think about what they see on television or in magazines. What they see in these ads is really not what it appears to be in reality. She believes that it is important for other teachers to read this to their students ..."
By Caitlin Heitman
Olson Middle School, Mauston
Do we need to be what they say?
Or can we go our own way?
Magazines, Ads, and Peer Pressure
The who's wearing what
And what's taking over who
Photo-shopped pictures telling us what's right
New looks and how to "change" your life
They say starving yourself to no end is cool
They say weight loss is the new fad
And that basically you shouldn't be glad
With what you have.
They show you only what you would like to be
And not what it's really like in reality
Nobody's the way they picture us to be
Only in their perfect little fantasies
Where everyone is beautiful on the outside
And throw away what really matters
Your hopes of feeling real, they shatter
Who are we trying to impress?
Is this one big competitive selfish fest?
Where we spend money on foolish things
Expensive clothing and diamond rings
Where cosmetic surgery is what "everyone needs"
No more love just greed
It's taken over us indeed
It's at top speed
Hitting everyone hard and good
Teens lured not into what they should
But to what could
End all that was right
We seemed to have lost our place
And our state of thought
About what our parents have taught
We're way over our heads
Some of these acts that are being done
May wind some of us up cold and dead.
I'd like to see
What these creators of this madness are like
Let them show me their strength and their might
Are they what they portray the world to be?
Or are they nothing but what everyone else sees?
This makes no sense to me
And please wake me up when the world is materialistic free.
Posted March 29, 2006
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