Monday, November 2, 2015

I am


I am
sure
there have been 
countless poems 
through the literary years 
of human history 
written as a statement of 
I am 
Maybe that is what poetry is 
A declaration of existence 
in times of isolation 
To hear the echoing of one's voice
as it bounces off the canyon walls of another 
to remind us 
that when we are lonely
we are never really alone 
So here is another
all my own 
An attempt that one could label 
as shameless narcissism 
but one would be wrong 
For it is simply a reach 
into the ether 
with an open hand
A recognition of complexity 
An identification of specificity 
A halting of oversimplification 
An attempt to cease 
this insistent pattern of self-judgment 
A cast shadow from dark clouds 
blown in by the gusts of self-doubt
White frothy plastic looking waves
Ice cold frozen paralyzing waves 
of useless guilt 
that crash into me again and again
Electric current left to coarse through me
post 
insistent redundant instructional conversations
No wonder I have this overwhelming desire
to assemble this puzzle slowly in solo atonement 
atonement solely to myself
So let me say instead 
attainment 
A statement of who 
I am
Shameless tender intentional placement of puzzle pieces 
one by one 
I can label this piece as shameless
If I want to 
and place it
wherever I like 
without 
insistent implicit moral condescension 
or 
externally imposed pretention
disguised as suggestion 
I can find the shape that says 
I am soft 
Allow the fluidity of definition 
to flux back-and-forth 
along the greyscale 
of that rendered graphite texture  
I can rescue and gently resuscitate 
the worn-out corner pieces
the ragged edge pieces
that say 
I am grit 
I can snap together
the repeat 
of easy pieces 
that sound out my heartbeat 
I am rhythm 
I am song 
I am music
I can fidget with the nameless piece 
that only exists as a color 
Nothing in particular needed to show you 
about where it belongs within the big picture
I am sky 
I am light
I am breath
I am soul
I can see the spaces 
where I have not quite discovered 
the right fit
There are empty holes 
that need to be filled with
I am love
I am good
I am worth
I am limitless 
I am endless
There are no spaces for criticism 
This is not a construction of analysis
Just because the puzzle is not assembled 
does not mean that it is broken or incomplete 
Even when all the pieces are in place
the cracks will still remain visible 
anyway
For I am growth
I am movement 
I am willingness 
I am reaching 
I am connection 
Just because 
all my life thus far
I have chosen to accept 
pieces of love
that were conditional and limited
does not mean 
have 
to 
continue 
to
Those pieces are misshapen and bent
misused and abused 
from attempts to force them 
into spaces where they did not fit
I shall flip them over
Choose the opposite
I am open
I am reception
I am clarity
I am whole
I am significance
I am significant 
Every piece of me
Every shiny piece
Every weathered surface
Every empty space
Every dark place
Every delicate
Messy
Articulate
Brazen
Naked
Insecure
Calculated
Fluid
Hysterical 
Lost
Raging
Mysterious 
Gorgeous
Piece
is significant 
Because I am significant 
Just because

I am

No comments: