Not

Not
| a poem by Erin Hanson

You are not your age, nor the size of clothes you wear,
You are not a weight, or the color of your hair.
You are not your name, or the dimples in your cheeks.
You are all the books you read, and all the words you speak.
You are your croaky morning voice, and the smiles you try to hide.
You’re the sweetness in your laughter, and every tear you’ve cried.
You’re the songs you sing so loudly when you know you’re all alone.
You’re the places that you’ve been to, and the one that you call home.
You’re the things that you believe in, and the people whom you love.
You’re the photos in your bedroom, and the future you dream of.
You’re made of so much beauty, but it seems that you forgot
When you decided that you were defined by all the things you’re not.

This is the second poem I quote from Erin as a permanent reminder of who we actually are, where we come from and what makes us human. The first poem I quoted from her was the poem “Let me Tell you”.

Sources:

– Erin Hanson: thepoeticunderground, lulu.com, 2014.
– Erin Hanson: Voyage – The Poetic Underground #2, lulu.com, 2014.
– Erin Hanson: Dreamscapes – The Poetic Underground #3, lulu.com, 2016.
– Erin Hanson poetry on Instagram @thepoeticunderground