The day you spoke of your reputation

I remember

Remember the day

The day you spoke of your reputation

That it was not your soul

Not your identity

It was the fabric others clothed you in

The colors others painted you in

And that now you were free

So you would paint your own canvas

Unrestricted from the fear of disfavor

In this I envied you

For I had lived so bound by others

By opinions

By judgments

By fear of suspicions

And now

Now I long too for this freedom

To find myself before I am lost

Lost in this city

Of another’s dream

So I surrender

And cling to the shore of my soul

Praying that I find the key

To my door

Within

 

 

Author's Note

“In the world of dogma, you become free the day you decide to go to hell.”
― Aniekee Tochukwu Ezekiel

Reviews

[DIVYA]

As long as one is true to oneself...nothing matters. Others will never be happy anyway. Beautifully written.

[An owl on the moon]

It has taken me several lifetimes to realize that truth. Thank you for your kindness, dear Divya.

[writ rajat]

Very eye opener poem a poet should not say about reputation

[An owl on the moon]

Thank you so much for reading my poetry.

[B]

A very existential piece
we are all of that sort of search
to find a reality we surely long for

[An owl on the moon]

Your words are so deeply appreciated. And Søren Kierkegaard has always been a deep influence on me. May you find your weekend filled with peace. :)

[Poetic Beauty]

There comes a time in life when we discover we need to live for our own self not what others want us to do.

[An owl on the moon]

Truly. Thank you for your awareness of this deeper life and your kindness here.

[Poetic Beauty]

You are welcome

[Traci]

A beautifully crafted write many can relate to.

So I surrender
And cling to the shore of my soul
Praying that I find the key
To my door
Within

There will always be conflict. But finding that key brings freedom, setting your soul free to choose the person you want to be.

[An owl on the moon]

I deeply appreciate your comments, Traci. Yes, may you always find the courage and inspiration to become more of you.

[Gloomsjune]

I like this. I see it as someone conflicted between being concerned about reputation and freedom from that. In the way it's spoken "you and I" it shows the continual confliction. It's twisted and true.

[An owl on the moon]

Thank you so much. You understand well that painful place found between reputation and freedom. How many every find the path, I wonder?

[Gloomsjune]

They are two extremes with a wide path between

[mhanv]

Thank you for sharing your poem with us. I thought the way you depicted our reputations as being "the fabric others clothed you in/The colors others painted you in" was such a unique and accurate way to describe our reputations. Your words are very reflective and thoughtful.

[An owl on the moon]

Thank you so much for your kindness. Glad to have you on my page. :)

[barleygirl]

This is a refreshing slice of brilliance! The flow is exquisite, starting with another person's reputation & then gradually finding your way to this self-talk about not conforming to the expectations of others. This is a constant battle for many & you've expressed it here in a gentle & probing way. I love the originality & the unexpected comparisons: "colors others painted you in" . . . "I lived so bound by others" . . . "lost in this city of another's dream" --> very creative ways to show us how this feels.

[An owl on the moon]

I deeply appreciate your thoughts and your kindness. This has been a constant struggle in my life, balancing who others think I should be with who I truly am. May you always find the strength to be you, dear poet.

[barleygirl]

I think this is at the crux of me being a loner . . . I change when I'm around people too much. Even at age 60 I just can't stop being a people pleaser, so I ended up choosing country solitude! *smile*

[emmajoy]

''To find myself before I am lost .. '

Reputation.. hmmmn. Sometimes we worry more about how others perceive us, than how we perceive ourselves. But the time comes when we fly, as you want to do.. and should. Perhaps,

Your words are always gentle and thoughtful, gently laid as if you're still considering their possibility, their true needs. Seems this is a search via example, via influence.. never a bad thing, my friend.

[An owl on the moon]

Thank you so much for your encouraging words of insight and support, dear Emma. Seems the older I get the less I care about how people perceive me. Just want to find the real me somewhere. :)

[emmajoy]

We all have t find Self, Craig, but perhaps, under our own terms. It's a case of knowing how and when. As for you, dear friend, 'I seek him here, I seek him there.. .. .. ! Hope life is being kind to you.

[An owl on the moon]

Life is very kind, and like a garden it brings endless fruit to enjoy. And you certainly know a thing or two about gardens, dear Emma. :)

[emmajoy]

Ummmmm... errrrr.. Yes!

And yes, life can indeed be very kind..

[D Connolly]

mmm, self acceptance, that brave action that renders us worthless in the eyes of capitalism... when we aren't buying into the image of success and rather letting our authentic light shine on the world, it makes people uncomfortable. Sometimes it's inspiring! I love this topic so much. I've been on a personal journey for the past while, and really tried to find and embrace my authentic self. Throwing off the mask that I wore for so long, and trying to be brave enough to keep it off. To hear that someone has inspired you to do the same gives me just enough juice to do it for one more day. Thank-you for the inspiration, and I love you for who you are underneath it all, good and bad, authentic and true

[An owl on the moon]

I so hope that inspiration to continue on this journey of You just gives you more courage and strength every day. Thank you for your very encouraging words!