How do we gain identity;
is it bequeathed by birth,
by nature of race, heritage,
by religion or financial worth?
Is it so firmly attached to us,
occupation etched on our forehead,
location revealed by accent in our speech,
or are we free to choose a makeover instead?
Do we make it, take it, obliterate it,
refuse to be tagged, labeled or categorized,
or to be boxed in or limited in opportunities,
but in our own most reasonable truth be recognized?
In extremes there are those of us
who paint bare bodies in team colors,
or create anew fantasy life adventures,
make super-fortunes in mass identity dollars.
In reality, demeanor indicates true worth;
our words reveal our honesty, reflect actuality,
release our dreams, free creativity, rationalize hopes,
celebrate an identity that, incidentally, coincides with reality.
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Author notes
Reading lines
and yet between them
as telling as meeting
in acutality.
Words come alive when answered in kind.
Comments
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this poem does resonate with truth..despite all the appellations and interrogations of society or the members therein, our true identities are often known only to ourselves..secret and safe from possible recrimination or lack of comprehension...it takes a great deal of courage to realize one's personal truth and then to share it with the world...may we all rise to the challenge! huzzah!
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Poets rising...
as are all writers...
for those who put word to page or screen
are indeed brave challengers,
soul barers!
Great to see you here, Chali-J, and to read
your interesting commentary.
Aesthete
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This is one of my favorites of you pieces I've read. True depth of thought here expressed easily and clearly. I love the word "bequeathed".
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Thank you for reading, Everwind.
It seems that we are labeled by our occupations,
and when there is a change, or when one can no longer
do what one used to do, there is an emptiness, which must be filled be aserting each person's individuality.
Yes, "bequeathed"--a gift, a blessing, or in some cases
perceived as a curse.
Aesthete
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I LOVE THIS ONE AESTHETE
When you first meet someone
they always ask you, what you do...
as if your job dictates who you really are
and how much money you make.
then of course
Where did you go to school?
this categorizes you further, and they are deciding
already where you fit in the grande scale of things.
So what does this mean for someone who has no job?
or did not attend the best of schools?
Does this make them any less of a person?
To some it does...and yet, this has how our society
has evolved. We have become far too materialistic
and yet we still call it evolving.
Evolving to me, would mean, that it is what is inside
a person's heart that counts...what do they give back to society, what do they gift of themselves to others, do they understand the concepts of compassion, love and peace?
This is a brillant poem and made me think.
sorry for prattling on so Aesthete
hugs Moony
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Dear moon,
I love your "prattling,"
though I would consider it
thoughtful insight, seeing
the person inside, not being
led astray by false illusions.
Your views reflect the loving
person you are!
Hugs back to you!
M-C
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And the answer is... All the above. It's that unique combination that makes us be who we are. I've a feeling it's a mix too complicated to unravel. But, as you said, no matter who we are, civility, decency, honesty, and all those other good words ending in "y" should be a shared element between us...that and Moxie...we should all have plenty of that.
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Great thought there, Keystone!
Share that Moxie; pass it around!
It would surely add to the civility
and the FUN of a shared discussion!
Moxie all around!!!!
Aesthete
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i really enjoyed this, i think it might be my favorite of yours... you have touched on a lot of very interesting things here (accents included). you're closing line is perfect. this is going to take another couple readings, maybe i'll have to comment again!
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As the words poured out,
reason, that straight-laced
reason, attempted to intervene,
questioning what I might leave out,
how logical was the progression
of thought, where was I going.
Subconscious stepped in,
sharp elbow to the ribs
of reason, taking care
of that!
With the broad spectrum of readers
encompassing multi-continents
the accent came to mind,
adding to the already
broad range we hear
from all directions
in our own countries.
Thank you. loper.
Aesthete
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Great!
Love the pandas
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Oivia, there is was, the pic,
on a "hugs for Brooke" thread
on the American Idol Forum.
Started me thinking...on the way
to the words above!
Aesthete
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More thought-provoking ideas here from Aesthete. You sure do think interesting thoughts, and you express them very well. E.g.,"demeanor indicates truth worth"...now there's a statement worth remembering.
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Leah---
As that word came to mind,
I considered "demeanor"
as how we act, how we treat others.
or how we appear to others,
and realized that unseen here,
we display our demeanor
even more obviously with our words.
Aesthete
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Beautiful...we are what we are meant to be, each of us unique in creation...sad, we can't captilize on the best of all...
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Thank you, Mary.
Sometmes it takes stepping outside
of oneself and looking in from there
to truly appreciate what is hidden from view!
Aesthete
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I'm not sure if incidentally can be applied in most cases.
We born and grow up, gathering all that is around us.
We do need to expand ourselves, and mold our personalities though. Too bad that there are so many people using the wrong clay.
You do express yourself in such a good way, and make your readers think, whether they want or not. I wish I could write my thoughts as good as you do
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Thank you, Mari.
"Using the wrong clay"--
now that is an interesting concept!
Yes, "incidentally" throws an option into the thought,
perhaps not as planned as we think, but human nature
reacting.
Your words, Mari,
as expressed on your site
can spin silk from the page!!!
Aesthete
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