Change 4 What!
By BF aka Sadeyez
Why is it that when I’m happy
They seem mad
Why is it when I smile
They look sad
I look in the mirror
And wonder if it’s me that they see
Like
Is it something in my teeth?
What could it be?
I try so very hard to be liked
Only to be hated
I must change
Should I change my hair?
(No) the voice said
Well
Should I change the way that I talk?
(No) The voice yelled
Okay
Should I change the way I dress?
(Dammit I said nooo)
Then what should I change
I wanted to be loved Sadeyez
(Nothing)
You are well put together by the
Hands of God
You are beautiful and much
More just the way you are
To hell with what they think
2 change 4 them is 2 be
Fake 2 you
So love you 1st
And the rest
Will follow
48 Comments
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
I agree, the only opinions that matter are the ones YOU think about YOURSELF! Thanks for sharing this poem, it serves as a great reminder for me.
This is really powerful. I’ve often struggled with fitting in and being comfortable with my own skin. I think it’s been really hard for me to find that voice inside of me to take charge and be proud of who I am.
Wow! Great poem!
Hey Sadeyez, thanks for writing this and sharing the struggle you’ve had with finding and accepting your identity. I’ve personally struggled with wanting to always change myself to fit what people want, and finding self-love has been a hard thing to do. It’s definitely true that you have to love yourself first, and kudos for recognizing that.
The theme of people wanting you to change without telling you how or why really resonates for me. I love the way the writing style itself shifts between the first part where you’re trying to please the others and the conclusion where you’re being true to yourself – it’s a terrific way of showing that choice, rather than just describing it. Keep writing, this is great.
I really loved this poem. I think lots of us can get caught up in what other people think and want to change who we are or what we look like to “fit in.” I have learned the hard way that this is not the best thing to do. Be you! I love how you captured this message in your poem and I hope to read more of your work.
I love the message this poem entails and enjoy the use of numbers that replace the words. While there could be more reflection after realization of loving yourself, this is extremely well written.
I sense so much strength and perseverance in this. Self-love is crucial! Thank you for sharing.
Well put out and beautiful message BF aka Sadeyez. The build-up within to poem only grew until you said “nothing”. Others reading may read this and feel the tension and waiting for you to say what needed to be changed. Great work and keep it up!!
Dear BF,
Nice poem and flow. It is a interesting topic to write about. Keep up the good work. I can read this all day.
Sadeyez,
I love the lines “2 change 4 them is 2 be fake 2 you.” I love that you grasp this concept of individuality. Continue to love yourself! Self-love is rare these days.
This was a great poem about self love! I loved how specific you were with your imagery and allowing me to picture in my head times in my life where I felt the same way looking in the mirror. This was really relatable and amazing to read, I hope you keep writing! I really enjoyed your poem!
I really like the formation of this poem; the writing style is really unique and otherwise feels like a personal letter to oneself from oneself. The questions asked and the comparisons made between you and everyone around you was really well written and made a really intriguing story about finding one’s true self. I also liked the final stanza as it gave us an answer to the first stanza’s questions.
Hi Sadeyez,
Thank you for sharing your work! I think so many could benefit from your words. It is so hard not to want to change for everyone else so you can feel accepted. What is an even bigger challenge is to accept yourself rather than change. I think you said it beautifully with your words. We are all God’s creations and I can’t help but wonder how much it hurts when we look at ourselves in such a negative way. I hope that many can read this and remember that they are loved and there is no need to change for others. Thank you again for your powerful work. You are loved!
Blessings,
Jacey
Sadeyez, thank you for sharing this poem. Your words were extremely touching. I related to your words and felt a ton of emotion when reading your poem. I have struggled most of my life with self-esteem and wanting to change the way that I look, dress, etc. to fit the norms of society. Once I realized I didn’t even know myself and who I was, I wanted to change. It was so beautiful to see that you had a similar experience and know that we are not alone in these feelings. The poem was motivational for me, and I hope that you continue to write and inspire others with your words. Thank you again for sharing, Sadeyez!
Thank you for sharing your poem. It does a great job encompassing the struggle of wanting to please people while also being true to yourself. The line, “2 change 4 them is 2 be fake 2 you” is a great way to sum it up. Self-love can be a struggle for so many people, especially when the people around you are not supportive. This poem is inspiring to remain true to yourself despite what those around you are saying. Thank you for sharing!
I really like this poem. I can see the transition in the way that you write to convey your message. There is so much pressure to change and presented ourselves in a certain way. And yet, when someone does change, there is always something to be said about the way we change and what we do; how it’s all wrong or not good enough. The ending stays true to yourself as you embrace your own language and your own identity. Love comes from within!
BF, I love your response to this negative self talk you are experiencing. The best way to combat those thoughts is to allow yourself to snap back into reality, remind yourself of your faith, and remember who you really are. You can not please everyone but if you know that you are doing your best to be your best, that is what truly matters.
BF, I really enjoyed your poem. I think it’s great that you know you don’t have to change for anyone to be liked. Your words inspire me to feel the same way. Sometimes I struggle with trying to be the best at something so that people will like me, or changing my style to match others so that they will like me. But your words, talking about how we are each made by God and you saying that we are well put together, they’re beautiful. You’re right, we are each uniquely made by the hands of God and the opinions of others do not matter, and it is so important to love ourselves because God loves us. Thank you for sharing.
Dear BF
I have been following your work. Such a powerful piece of work. Nice flow and beautiful structure. I truly enjoyed reading this and related to it very much. Please keep working at it. It is very strong and powerful. I love the work. I truly hope you keep going.
To BF,
When I began reading your poem “Change 4 What”, it started to bring tears to my eyes. It was a poem that I so deeply desired I could have read to my middle school self. I struggled so badly with the feeling of being insecure and that I needed to change to be liked. From the start I could feel the tone of sadness when you felt as though you were the problem by saying “I try so very hard to be liked only to be hated”. I could then feel anger rise in the poem when the inner voice kept responding time after time with “no”. I then felt so inspired when the poem then switched to this uplifting and motivational voice that was so powerful. I loved how you used the use of rhyme and repetition. The rhyming instantly drew me into the poem and the repetition allowed me to feel your personal struggle of needing to change. The line that said, “2 change 4 them is 2 be fake 2 you” was ultimately what I took with me after reading this poem. It is wonderful that you have come to this conclusion in life that you and I are “put together by the hands of God” so who cares what others think. Never stop appreciating what makes you unique and continue to spread this love and positivity, because so many people need to hear this critical advice.
Great message in this poem! Honestly, I kind of needed to hear that right now. Thank you for writing!
I really love how you get in touch with your emotions and accept yourself the way that you are. I can relate to your feelings in that I spent a lot of time in high school and college putting on a “mask” to people so that they would like me more. Your message is a valuable reminder that the people who want to be in your life will be there and accept you for who you are, but you also have to love yourself first. Keep up the good work and remember that God loves you!
“So love you 1st and the rest will follow.” I wish that everyone could read and understand these words. Even from a young age Ive had a hard time loving and accepting myself, there’s so many people who feel like they aren’t important and who feel like they have no impact on the world. But they are important even if it’s just to the nice lady on the bus, or the man who owns the coffee shop.
Beautiful poem.
You truly express how we should not change ourselves for others. We are better, happier people when we are just ourselves. Not changing for others. Thank you for sharing this wonderful poem.
I love this poem. When I first came to a new school, I wanted to be liked so I was quieter and I didn’t really act like myself. Now, this is my second year at this school, and I know that I should just be myself. I am myself and I have supporting friends. I like the third from last stanza ‘ You are beautiful and much
More just the way you are.’ I hope that everyone knows that and I’m glad that I got to read it.
I also wonder if I should change something about me. I wonder if my hair is too messy or my clothes doesn’t match. Sometimes I wonder if I should just never talk, do what other people do and try make myself invisible.
I really liked you Poem.
So true. Lover yourself first and the rest will follow. I mean, how can you expect others to accept you is you won’t accept yourself. Plus, once you’ve accepted yourself for who you are, you don’t need anyone else’s approval. I like the swagger in your poetry. Keep it up, my friend.
Not being liked by people can be hard to realize and it can make you feel like you should change something about yourself. I used to want to be liked by everyone and would constantly be wanting to be different so that so and so would like me. Finally I realized it doesn’t matter if they do not like me, at the end of the day as long as I am happy with myself that is what truly matters. People come and go in our lives and we shouldn’t spend our lives trying to change for other people. Find the people you don’t need to change for and you will be the happiest and most confident you have ever been. Always be yourself, your unique and made to be you, not someone else.
This is a very powerful poem that addresses insecurities and self-doubt/self worth. It’s a very real representation of how many people in the world feel today. People just want to be liked, but when they don’t get the reaction they were hoping for from people, obviously they won’t feel good about themselves and doubt their worth.
This was one of my favorite reads, I can relate to this very much. You always wonder if you need to change something about yourself to make others happy. You told the message so well and it was really eye opening when you said:
To hell with what they think
2 change 4 them is 2 be
Fake 2 you
I loved not only the message behind this poem as it emphasizes the importance of self love, but also how unique your style of writing is. I thought the ending where you used numbers for words was very unique and almost endearing as it makes you wonder if that is the author caring less about their “appearance”.
I can relate to the mirror part! Well said and it’s so true that we want to be seen or fit in.
I think this poem is so powerful because a lot of people grow up thinking they need to change in order to be liked, but find out in hard ways that it is better in fact to be yourself, then see where it goes from there!
This poem is very relatable and I think it will inspire a lot of people who see ‘Sadeyez’ in the mirror and I wish I also could have read it when I was younger, but I’m glad I did because it’s a constant struggle to not conform to what other will like while trying to be yourself.
I wish you the best of luck, this poem stuck out instantly and will remain with many for a long time!
~JP
This was a great poem about identity. A lot of people struggle with who they are and feel as though they need to fit the picture of others for them like us. You should not have to change how you look or who you are for others’ liking or enjoyment. This was an inspirational poem and “to hell what they think.” Great poem.
So many people change who they are, so they aren’t hated. And I feel like it’s a huge problem in today’s world. Everybody becomes something they are not at one point in time. Then you lose the real you. So you are putting that into words just shines light on how many people really do it. Amazing job. Don’t be afraid to be you.
I think this poem is a great reflection of how people think they should change in order to impress other people. As humans, we crave the sense of belonging and will do anything just to get approval by others. Your poem highlights how we do not have to change ourselves and only our opinions on ourself matters. Great poem!
I appreciate you taking the time to write this and share your struggles in defining and accepting your identity. Finding self-love has been a difficult thing for me to do because I’ve personally struggled with wanting to change myself constantly to fit what other people want. By writing this poem you really helped to remind me that no one else’s opinion matters! Keep up the good work!
Staying true to yourself is a message that needs to be spread more often. People just blend together to fit in. We hate being the center of attention, for most of us anyways, and we try to conform. I think the reason people act the opposite of how they treat you, is their judgment of you. Now, I can’t say that for sure, but people truly are judged. If this started after or during your conviction, then that’s why people are judging you. I cannot give you an answer to the question you ask. But staying true to your core values is important.
BF,
Your poem is very inspirational for many in today’s society. We are constantly pressured to be and look a certain way to “fit in”. I can see the frustration in your writing how it felt to you no matter what you did or how you looked, it was never enough to please anyone. My favorite part to read was when you had that internal conversation with yourself on what to change, and realized you didn’t want to change anything about your appearance. It really brought across the message you were giving that changing ourselves for others will still never be enough to please everyone, and while we do that we lose who we are and our happiness. I agree it isn’t possible to be truly happy when you are pretending to be someone you are not, and that being ourselves is what we really need in life to be happy. It is better to be loved by a few quality people for someone we are, rather than loved by many people for someone we are not.
Great poem! I think it is super hard to love yourself and not let what others think about you get to you. But, it is super important! It’s a hard thing to realize and this poem puts it really well!
Everyone struggles with insecurities, but it is the norm to stay quiet, and because everyone is quiet you feel that much more alone about the unchangeable, we so worry about. Your poem highlights those concerns and starts a conversation. I’m glad you can be this confident in yourself and you shouldn’t change for anyone.
Hi,
I 100% agree with the message in your poem which is self acceptance. We are all beautiful and special in our own way. Our outward appearance isnt the only thing that defines us. This is why we should not just focus on what others think but focus on our heart, our skills, talent and what we have to offer to this world to better define each other.
I love the message of this poem! Self love is so important, and I totally agree with the last stanza! If you learn to love yourself, people who will also love you for the authentic you will come. With the way our society is, self love can be difficult. Social media especially can be such a big source of insecurities in many people and this makes being confident in yourself so much harder. Great message!
This is a great poem! I love the message about accepting yourself and how important it is to trust your own thoughts and opinions. What other people say can be perceived as loud noise but it is powerful when you can drown that out and listen to your heart.
This poem is unbelievably powerful! The challenge we all face with dealing with our identities is real and should be spoken about more often. What I loved is how you implemented your own voice into these lines. How other society judges individuals you always told yourself you were enough, and you are. Never forget that! The poem you are putting out is sending a message to young adults and we all need to hear this message throughout our lives. Thank you for the beautiful words.
The urge to change for others is one I also struggle with. I take pride in self-expression but there are some days where I don’t want to deal with the stares, where it’s exhausting to go outside and have to justify your existence to the world. I encourage you to keep being who you are, it’s better to be hated as you are than loved as a stranger.
Hello BF,
I really love your message about embracing who you are. You are beautiful, and the opinions of others don’t matter in the end. I like how you celebrate yourself and have pride in the fact that you borne and shaped into the perfects picture you need to be. I love the flow of your poem and really enjoy the word choice used. Wishing you all the best.
I love how this poem emphasizes the importance of self love and the value in that. I liked the inclusion of the inner voice and how it grew stronger to defend you,
“Should I change my hair?
(No) the voice said
Well
Should I change the way that I talk?
(No) The voice yelled
Okay”
By the voice yelling it reflects how the inside you knows that nothing about you is imperfect, but the world makes you think that there is. The poem acknowledges “You are well put together by the hands of God”, this refrences the idea that you were made in God’s image and likeness and he literally can’t make you imperfect. The opening lines reflect how not everyone wants to see others do better, I feel like when others can get threatened by your potential, and friends see this as an opportunity for both of you to grow.