Ain't I a Teenager? [A Parody of a Poem I Wrote for English Class]

I was looking thru old dm's and found a poem I was proud of! This was an assignment for English and I think it's still pretty good. The poem is meant to be a parody of Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech.

 Ain't I a Teenager?

[Based off of Sojourner Truth's Ain't I a Woman speech]

Ain't I a teenager?

Parents and adults alike say that teenagers need to work hard, focus on school and slave ourselves away. And for what? The cost of our mental stability?

Nobody ever takes that into consideration.

And ain't I a teenager?

I am talented, I am creative, I am imaginative.

I can change the world, I can inspire others, I can do things that no adult can do.

There is no one who can tell me that I am nothing.

And yet they don't think those traits are good or "essential" for the real world.

And ain't I a teenager?

I have endured trauma and the struggles of the real world at such a young age that nobody seems to understand.

And ain't I a teenager?

I have been sexualized, I have been stared at, and I have been judged.

And ain't I a teenager?

Look at me.

I feel hurt, anxious, upset, and destroyed, but look at me.

I am strong, I am tough, I am powerful.

Through my many struggles and hardships, I manage to come back up every single day.

Despite everything, I can and I WILL make the world a better place.

Not just for me,

But for the future generation.

And ain't I a teenager? ❧