Life

By Krishna Johri

My privileged life, so boring, so mundane.

Devoid of color, of feeling, full of fluff.

 Any more of this life, and I’ll go insane.

I wake up, desperately hiding the pain

Or they’ll say I’m selfish. My life can’t be rough.

My privileged life, so boring, so mundane?

My teachers and classmates have me wrapped in chains.

Their expectations bind me with burning cuffs.

Any more of this life, and I’ll go insane.

And my parents. They couldn’t have worked in vain.

I have to show them that I am worthy of

My privileged life, so boring, so mundane.

So, I sell my soul, my life, reroute my veins

Just for them to laugh and say it’s not enough.

Any more of this life, and I’ll go insane 

And this is how my life is. Everyday.

Day-after-day-after-day in an endless slough

My privileged life, so boring, so mundane 

Any more of this life, and I’ll go insane.

Biography

My name is Krishna Johri, and I’m a sophomore. When I’m not slaving away on my homework or spending endless hours studying, I enjoy drawing animals and people as well as writing. I also happen to own a telescope, so I occasionally spend my time gazing at stars and planets (or any passing airplanes).

What motivated you to write this piece?

In the past, most entries I made to literary fair were basic, boring, and uninspired. I needed to experiment with a new format. So when I learned about villanelles, I found them really fascinating and tried to come up with a poem that would fit the format. I then realized that the repeating format of the villanelle would fit a poem about going in an endless, repeating cycle that robs you of your passion and motivation for living until you eventually lose your mind. This may or may not be inspired by the college admissions process as well as high school in general.

How do you resonate with your piece? Why is it personal to you?

This piece is almost a snapshot of the mental state I and many others were/are in, whether it was only freshman year or still ongoing. This piece reflects what is essentially the high school experience, aside from all the parties and glamour. For our whole lives, our parents and other elders have been telling us that we “are so privileged” or “had it way better” than them and that any of the negative feelings or struggles we endure are “not that bad” or “invalid.”