I Once Asked My Ego What Makes It Go Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

I once asked my ego what makes it go,
What with vain-glory vanity and pride:
It’s not I that’s on a vainglorious ride,
Nor is arrogance my fuel, ye know,
Nor vanity the vehicle I use,
Nor I, me, mine be my identity,
Air of pride ne’er does within me suffuse;
What I can’t stand is soul’s false vanity—
Boasting to be the true person behind,
But my claim is humble and down to earth,
Unlike him, I am my own unique kind,
Discerning few do know my real worth,
I do stand for reason and sanity,
Confuse me not with id, nor super I.
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Freud gave the terms id, ego, and super
ego, which someone interpreted as it, the I,
and beyond I. Here in this light-hearted
piece, ego points an accusing finger at id,
and super ego, while pulling soul’s leg.
The mood of the poem is tongue-in-cheek.
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- Sonnets | 01.09.05 |