I am me,
not you,
not them;
just me,
unlike anyone else,
yet similar in many ways.
I bleed,
and cry,
I hurt
and hope;
like so many,
I pass the days.
People try to define me,
pigeon hole me
into something I am not;
I am uniquely me,
loved, perhaps hated,
tolerated at times.
I speak my mind
and hold my tongue,
not always when it is best;
trodding through life
at my own pace,
taking both lemons and limes.
I’m scarred,
and battered,
abused and abandoned;
yet I am loved
and cared for,
a friend to many.
I have healed,
and grown;
moved forward,
stumbling here and there;
I have had little,
but also plenty.
I don’t look for gold,
rather authenticity;
I’d rather have a genuine soul
than a vain personality;
what’s mine is yours,
perhaps yours is mine.
My Faith guides me,
comforts me,
carries me through;
my Father protects me,
instructs me,
and helps me to shine.
Life has held challenges,
and sadness;
I’ve known loss,
and emptiness;
a range of emotions
that swell like the sea.
I’ve learned to forgive,
be at peace,
let go of much;
I don’t pretend to be something
that I am not;
I am always, and ever, just me.
© Leslie C Dobson
If you liked this poem, you can find additional ones on the poetry page of Leslie’s website.