Reading Response on a Poem

            In the current century the image of perfect is being thin or being buff. Another “perfect image” is having designer clothes. Behind middles school walls having designer clothes is fitting in. Have you ever been jealous of the girls with thin bodies and the perfect clothes? Ever killed someone for his or her clothes or shoes? In the poem Please Don’t Take My Air Jordans, by Reg E. Gaines, the speaker seems young, high school maybe eighth grade. The poem is about a boy who steals air Jordans to look good in school. After reading the poem, one theme is people care about a person’s appearance; this is shown in the fourth, fifth, and sixth stanza.

            The fourth stanza the speaker talks about his gear (new clothes), and how it makes him feel special. “And the reason I have to look real fly/ well to tell ya the truth man I don’t why/ I guess it makes me feel special inside” (Gaines 13-15). The speaker says his gear makes him special. Why does someone have to look nice to feel special, isn’t everyone special in his or her own way?

            The fifth stanza the speaker explains the importance of his gear. “ But I really must get some new gear soon/ or my ego will pop like a ten cent balloon” (Gaines 17-18). I inferred that the clothes complete him and he cant live without his clothes. His gear is important to him. Just like currently with us teens, our phones are so important to us. We cant live without them.

            The sixth stanza is a follow up and tells us why his clothes are so important. “My crew’s laughing at me cuz I’m wearing old gear” (Gaines 24).  True friends wouldn’t laugh at your clothes. They wouldn’t laugh at your appearance. They would know if something is wrong with you and ask you “what’s wrong” or “are you ok?”

            Reading a poem is like looking at a painting. At first we look at it and don’t know what we see. Then we realize there is a true meaning, a story behind it. Some people think being thin or buff is perfect, however people should like who they are not the person the want to be. In the poem the speakers kills for a pair of sneakers. There was no need to take a persons life for a pair of shoes. After reading this poem, I realized that fitting in or having the best clothes or being thin, isn’t everything.