Let Me Burn

I’m tired of others telling me how

to build my fire.

Pushing me aside,

telling me… I can’t do it.

It’s all wrong or,

“you’re taking too long.”

“It’s not the way I would do it,

so you’re incorrect.”

So they shove me to the ground

to shut me down,

Trying to control me

with their judgments

and harsh words,

Hoping I will fall apart.

I am wrong

because I don’t think and do things

the way they would, or how they think

I should.

So they promptly stomp my fire out.

What difference does it make

how I build my fire,

or what it looks like?

Would it still be

“wrong”

if it were your fire

being put out?

Copyright Rachel Ann 2025

About the poem:

“Let Me Burn” confronts the judgment and control imposed by others, revealing how individuality is often labeled “wrong” simply for being different. It exposes the harm of those who try to extinguish another’s passion or path, while challenging the notion that there is only one “right” way to build a fire—or a life.