Poetry

identity

I am not my father or my grandfather.
I am not an extension of their dreams.
I am not meant to fulfill their desires for them,
Nor to correct their mistake.

I don’t have their experiences, or their mindsets.
I am not them,
And I am not going to stay in their shadow.

I am competent
I am understanding
I am intelligent
I am strong
I am patient
And while they helped me become these things
I made myself what I am
I have my own ambitions,
My own goals.

Don’t expect me to do what they do.
Don’t expect me to be them.
Yes, I am my father’s son.
But first and foremost,
I am me.