When I Am Who I Am Poem by Sameer Daniel Gardner

When am I, who I really am?

Is it at the height of my passion,
When my feelings flow through
my blood to the ink of my pen
and finally come to rest on paper..

When am I, who I really am?

Is it when I am fighting some pain in me,
With my will forcing my eyes to open and see
Fighting my fears
and seeing the dreams beyond my fears

Or

Is it when I am drenched in joy
And full of things I ought to be
Thankful for
I do thank God once in a while
Maybe I am myself at those times.

When am I, who I am?

When I am at my best is that who I am?
Or when I am fighting with failure
is that who I am?
None I believe,
As the former is who I am striving to be
and the latter's strength is what
I would like to have in me

No my achievements and failures
do not define who I am...

Perhaps I am too big to fit
in one of the above
Perhaps I am similar to courage, hope and love
Which cannot be defined
With reference to a point in time
My faith, my passion, my fellows, my body, my soul
Are all parts of me no single one makes me whole
And though the world is constantly trying to change me
I'll be myself as long as I feel its right to be.

So apparently, I have the answer finally
I am who I am
When I am striving to be me...