Labeling people: how labels make you worthless.

I’m iron, I’m Gold are verses on labeling people, on what happens when society fits us into a preconceived mold and expects us to behave accordingly. If only we are recognized for our worth and not mislabeled, won’t we become a more successful society?

I may be Gold, I may be Iron. I wonder how valuable I can be, if only you recognize me for who I am!

Even though I understand that Gold and Iron have different values, but as a metal, both are extremely valuable and useful. It is we, who have labeled them and attached price tags to them.

I'm Gold

I'm Gold they called me Iron.
With Iron they heated me,
for melting early they scrapped me.

I'm Gold, why they called me Iron. 
Sold me at a dollar a pound,
& said, 'what a bargain I found !'

I'm Gold, but they called me Iron.
tried to color, redden or whiten,
everything was okay only not golden.

I'm gold, yet they called me iron.
I may shine, I may brighten, 
but for them I'll always be iron.





I'm Iron

I'm Iron they call me Gold, 
and wonder why at their prices I'm not sold.

I'm Iron they call me Gold, 
hoping prices will soar they keep me on hold.

I am Iron, why they call me gold? 
Do they know at gold's melting point I don't even fold.

I'm Iron, yet they call me gold, 
they don't call blacksmith, always Goldsmith gets the scold.

I’m Iron, alas! they call me Gold, 
never do they realize my uses are multifold.

Maybe you would think that when I label you as Iron, I am considering you inferior. But the truth is without Iron, many industries will shut down and the economies may collapse. So do not underestimate either Gold or Iron, just understand that both have their uses and values.

Why I wrote this poem.

One of the sad parts of our society is we often indulge in labeling people. And this is not a consequence of understanding the person, and then classify them. Instead, it is about designing our own molds and then fitting people into them. Even our Creator has given us unique characteristics, who are we as humans to forego all that and mold them as per our preferences.

And not only do we disregard the traits and skills that people possess, we completely mistag them. No one cares that we are living all our lives with the same QR code that society has assigned to us. I don’t want to give examples here of the mislabeling as it is different for everyone.

Don’t label me as nature-wise: docile or sweet; education-wise: Engg or MBA; or job-wise Marketing or IT professional, etc. I have much more to offer and I definitely don’t want to be typecasted. It seems for every label given to me, I have to spend my whole life either changing it or surpassing it. What a clear waste of time.