The poet last summer at Earl Mosley's Hearts of Men dance program
My siblings are the greatest. They're smart, funny, and kind, and they're constantly making me proud. I wanted to share a poem from my brother Michael, a fellow crafter, baker, and dancer who will be starting high school in the fall.
At a time when his peers are doing all they can to conform, Michael has remained a beacon of individuality and courage. Here he is talking about his experience with a life-changing summer dance program for men.
And here's a poem he wrote toward the end of the school year:
Individuality
by Michael Horowitz
Style is in the eye of the beholder?
All I get is the cold shoulder
You call my shoes insane
Maybe yours are too plain
You call the way I talk abnormal
Maybe you talk way too formal
Because of you I’m afraid to be who I am
Making me think my looks are a scam
What defines me, what defines you?
Is it being false over true?
Looks are deceiving
And personalities can be misleading
All of your insecurities, are just like your impurities
Trying to cover up who you are, instead of shining like a star
So next time don’t follow the crowd
Try to be a little out loud
Because you have nothing to lose because you choose, how
you view, who can abuse, your muse
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?
No it’s simply being a bit bolder!
