Accepted

‘Accepted’

To be accepted you have to take sides -
sometimes this side, sometimes that side,
often both sides of the authoritarian divide;
even if it means you’ll fall into a whirlpool
of conflicting views - with rivalry and disuse,
to leave your work of any valuable repute.

Life seems unpredictable after lockdown,
hobnobbing with death has taken a toll,
as I don’t know if loved ones ripped away
in moments, is now better than if forewarned -
Cancer death sentences being pronounced:
so much death has left me spiritually bound.

Yet being accepted is astute, even if mute,
so that you can be on either side of any truth -
without walking the tightrope that defines it
and compels you to take sides to restrain you,
even if both sides may be your world views:
you have to be on your side or be doomed!

Independent thinking leaves you out cold,
outside the realm of protection of core groups
that can give you awards and recognitions -
invitations to showcase yourself to the world through affiliations and aspirational honours:
The day I’m Accepted will then be my demise.
— Shuvashree Chowdhury

PS: sharing these random thoughts that have been in my mind…
“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”
— Joseph Chilton Pearce

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