What I Am. Not.

defining who I am by defining what I'm not

I am not the panic I feel when he doesn't write

I am not the secrets I keep from her

I am not the body I give away easily

I am not the tears that herald my rage

 

I am the words, I am the intentions

 

I am not the number on my tag

I am not his precious daughter

I am not the youngest of us

I am not the marriage that failed me

 

I am the strength, I am the resilience

 

I am not the colors that I wear

I am not his love "no more, no less"

I am not the dialogue chained in my brain

I am not my tempestuous history

 

I am the backbone, I am the mortar

 

And the things that I'm not dance in and out of my skeleton

sometimes weaving so tightly it resembles a complete person

but I am not the things I am not

cut the yarn and the complication falls away

 

I was the driftwood, now I'm the roots

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

as per usual, I look forward to reading your comments