The Battle of Two Goods

By Aaron Stokes, 17

The battle of two goods.

No one is right,

No one is wrong.

But “you must pick a side.

You must pick a flag to wave,

You must find the tune of your song.”

Both sides do no harm

Because both sides are right, right?

But when the battle affects you

Which one will you help fight?

How can you discern between

Two white doves?

Both filled with love

And both filled with heartbreak.

You can end this war

With one simple roar,

But how can they chant the same song

When one side holds the lyrics,

While the other holds the melody?

There would be not one without the other,

There would be no war without the enemy.

But if there was no evil,

There would be no good.

If everyone was special,

No one would.

So every side needs its villain,

The opposite of right.

But which side is the hero,

And which side the villain?

When you fight fire with fire

You just get burned.

But when you fight love with love,

Can anyone win?

Or will you find yourself living

With the idea of loving both sides?

When the battle comes pounding

Down your door,

Which side are you fighting for?

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This piece was inspired by the conflicting sides, lifestyles and opinions of your life that you can’t seem to pick a side on. I wanted to portray these battles like a war—they can be ended by making one small decision, but that decision can mean leaving a part of your life behind to embrace something different.

Battles of love, hate, sexuality and home are common for many people, and I wanted both sides to sound equally good and bad. You never know which decision is the right one, because you can either hide your true self and keep the people you love, or lose the people you love by embracing your true self. I used the repetition of “but” in this poem to illustrate how there are always upsides and downsides of choosing one side. You lose something in the process, which is what this poem is about.

Instagram: @aaronnluke