What You Are Not

WHAT YOU ARE NOT

You are not your count of years
or the freckles on your cheeks.
You are not your jumbled thoughts
or the words you did not speak.

You are not your school homework
or the tests that you have passed,
you are not the first in line,
but you are also not the last.

You are every book you have ever read
and every song you have ever sung.
You are most you when you are working hard
and sticking out your tongue.

You are tangled hair in the morning
and smiles that you try hard to hide,
you are the sweet tinkling bells of laughter
and the last time that you cried.

You are the songs that you sing to yourself
when you know you are all alone,
you are every place you've ever been to
and the one that you call your home.

You are the things that you believe in,
and every person that you love,
you are your precious mementos,
and all the things you're dreaming of.

You are choice and opportunity,
and potential to be great,
you are someone's heart's desire
as well as their perfect mate.

You are made of stars and magic
but it seems that you forgot
when you decided that you were defined
by all the things that you are not.

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Shared with DVerse Poets for Open Link Night.




©2014 Christopher Reilley
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