They say, “No one wants to feel they are different.
“Everyone wants to feel they are not alone.”
They tell me, “We rely on you to treat us as you would a Higher Power.
“When we call, we suggest you answer the phone.”
 
They say, “No one can breathe when they’re under water.
“Everyone wants the practical means to succeed.”
They tell me, “We advise you to become a law-abiding marauder.
“It’d be best if you learned what you do and don’t need.”
 
I say, “I’m better off nurturing quietness,
Living in solitude and dancing alone.”
I say, “Maybe I’m just a little bit different.
“What gives me joy leads most to moan.”
 
I tell them,  “What feels like prison to one is freedom to another.
“When the leaders grow confident, I begin to have doubts.”
I say, “Maybe I take what matters a little too intensely,
But when most are deaf, those who hear must shout.”
 
They say, “Trust us, we know you better than you know yourself;
“We’ve seen your type many times before.”
They tell me, “Some specimens are more difficult to mold and shape,
But you’re just a type, that’s what you ought to remember;
You’re just a type, and nothing more.”
 
They say, “We’ve figured out the way to do it.
“We know now what has to be done.”
They tell me, “The goal is to get adjusted to upright society.
We stimulate the economy to debilitate autonomy:
At the end of the day, we hope you have fun!”
 
I say, “Still the earth remains in all her unserviceable and savage beauty,
“Still many know your surface victory is hopelessly hollow.”
I tell them, “As long as a few men and women observe astutely,
Not all will be hypnotized, not all will follow.”
 
I say, “Some will always search for something higher than regulation.”
“The more you try and control, the shorter will be your reign.”
I tell them, “What you do is a more subtle and cowardly form of degradation,
“But as long as there exists wildness, some will never be tamed.”