I stand

(Written for English class. Contrived? Probably. But the teacher hated it, so I'm obligated to post.)

Alike and separate,
Cracked and whole,
I stand
among them, and they
They see and they nod.
Reject,
scorn,
exile; take your name.
And so I sit.
The others purse lips,
but they,
They see and they nod.
Accept,
admire,
embrace; choose your poison.
Now, holding power
they goad
With respect and praise
To stand and
to fall.
Struggle against the force
of my own brutalities, and they,
They see and they laugh.
Fruitless,
lost,
barren; give up your vision.
Empty and ignorant,
I stand
and start to walk
Among them and between them
Around them and through them.
They see, and they stare
from their seats upon the ground.
But I do not notice
their eyes
Far below
my line of vision.