(2) Literary Connection

Suffocated 

By: Ileana Leon (2016)

My biggest fear is to be alone with my thoughts,

To be surrounded by the past,

Stalked by what could've been, what should've been,

Swallowed whole by my mistakes,

I guess it can be said that my biggest fear is myself,

And being eaten alive by the insecurity I mask day by day,

Who smiles when internally she cries for help,
The person that hides behind the red lips, the soft brown eyes,

The person who is suffocated .

I can relate to this poem by Leon to our topic about insecurities. People these days especially teens, are really complicated and hard to understand due to having various internal conflicts. They have so many problems that they fear to express their own thoughts and opinions because they are covered with insecurities. They are scared to voice their own problems, thoughts, and opinions because they fear that they won't be able to cope what other will think about them. Many teens in this generation are very joyous and energetic, but deep inside they are sad and trying their hardest to get over their problems, as the quote says "I am intrigued by the smile upon your face, and the sadness within your eyes." (Jeremy Aldana) They are using their smiles to cover and mask themselves away from sadness to others. I can also relate to the poem because as a teen, I also have few problems that are hidden inside of me. Everyone who knows me, personally or not, know that I am a very happy and funny person, but they don't know my insecurities. It's a pleasure for me to make people happy. I am using the positive side of my personality to cope from my insecurities, are you willing to do it as well?

Leon, Ileana. "Poems by Ileana Leon." Poems by Ileana Leon. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.