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As I mentioned in my last post ‘Dazed Poet : Actions’ – it’s been years since I have written any sort of poetry and I’ve recently come across my old writing (the original post was put up in July ‘08 when I first started this blog) … here’s a piece which is a favourite of mine …
Who Am I ?
Do you know me?
What is my identity?
Who am I to you
amongst all those
you've met?
Will you remember
my name long
after we've parted
ways?
Or will I remain
a hauntingly
familiar face?
How many of 'me'
have you come
across today?
Next time, perhaps,
you'll remember
me by name...
perhaps you'll know
me for me...© DazeDiva
I’d like to know how you feel when you read this ? What image comes to mind ? Do the words express what happened in that image ? Have you experienced something similar ? Are you able to relate to this ?
I suppose it’s safe to make the assumption that all of us at some point have had a moment of self-doubt; where we have wondered or asked ourselves (or someone else) ‘who am I?’ … what are the characteristics that make one more unique than the other ?
We as individuals are an amalgamation of perspectives, ideas and personalities – and until we really know ourselves – it would be impossible for someone else to really know us right ? So do you know who ‘you’ are ?
When I think about it now … I’m pretty sure I will be remembered by name; or as the party girl who has a camera permanently attached to her hand or as my sister likes to put it – as ‘the paparazzo’! The people close to me would be able to say much more about me when the time comes ..
Whether you like it, love it, hate it or think it’s not real poetry – I’d really like to know .. so don’t be shy with your comments !
21 comments:
Really nice!! Tho it speaks a little differently to me. My humble take on it? Its not bout self-doubt.. or figuring out who you are. Its more about..
Who am I.. to you?
Am I interesting as a person?
Or am I just a fleeting shadow? Have I had an effect on your life? Or was my interaction with you just like a gust of air.. you felt me pass you by.. but you remember me no more.
Will I be remembered when I'm gone?
Will I live on in the memories of others? Or will there be no evidence that I even existed?
For me, its more about gauging your own self-worth through the impact you've had on others! and I think we all go through that phase at some point.. trying to find who we are, and where and how we fit into this jigsaw puzzle called life!
Oh and considering how well you write.. maybe you should consider paying a visit to your grandparents place, in order to sit in front of the piano and try putting some of your poems down to music! You just might surprise yourself!
@ Ve ... thank you :) and you got it spot on .. "who am I .. to you?"
It's a pretty incredible feeling when you start to figure out where you stand in your own eyes and in the eyes of others ..
Would you believe I have composed a few pieces on the piano (many years ago) .. always thought of putting a sound to some of my poems but never really did it ..
I shall be revealing more of the poet in me .. I'll let you pick which one is worthy of a rusty tune :P
Sounds good! and who knows... Grammy's 2012.. here we come!! Never say never, remember? ;)
Love it! It makes me think of the many people who have come and gone through my life over the years. Do they remember me? Do they ever think of me? You'd like to believe you made some sort of lasting impression on them, but how do you ever know?
@ Ve .. will you sing (or recite - it worked for Leonard Cohen) with your baritone for me ??
@ Stephanie .. aww ! so happy that you love it !! it is hard to know the impact we might have or not had on a person .. although I'm sure that couldn't have been 'all bad' right ?
p.s. any treadmill with a book holder works for me !!
lol.. babe, you dont need to ask me twice! ;)
Love this. Well, a couple things. I write about a Lichenstein painting where the girl shouts "Hello???" and my feelings of being invisible. I've experienced the "Who I am?" feeling long after the crowds have walked away and I've stood there alone wondering if anyone even saw me.
And, ultimately, after caring far too much who I am to family and friends and their endless opinions about me, I redirected my question to God. "Who am I?" as it concerns You? That question settles very well with me and has been a fun search with very little judgement and I feel remembered and remembered and, well, known by name.
My thoughts. Love to you.
first of, simple yet very very profound!! :)
even today, there are times when questions of this sort pop up in my head. i am the first to accept that in a social gathering i am quite insecure and hence try my super best to impress those around, leave a mark, cos well, no one wants to be forgotten or just become a face without a name to put to it, after a time well spent. and despite my best effort, the insecurity keeps popping its ugly head every now and then.
and i think this very trait of mine makes sure that i never forget a face & the name that goes with it.
as for those who really know me, its more like some friends know certain facets of me like an open book. and all those friends put together know all of me and well i know for a fact that i can count them on one hand. had it not been for these handful people, i wouldve most definitely lost myself? they are the ones who keep reminding me of who i am...and a whole lot of other things ;)
et voilà!! :)
-Prutha
@ PMA aka Cole .. Love it !!! The question is not only directed to us as individuals but really can be directed upwards and then we have the non-judgmental answer ...
Sometimes as I find myself in a sea of people, I just stop and take it all in and watch those around me .. 'who am I to you amongst this crowd' .. I want to be remembered by name, I will be as well :) my legacy to the world ! ;)
@ Prutha .. it's good to leave that impact; and even better to know all those faces around you .. it makes a difference .. Having those handful of friends who know you as the open book that one is meant to be is a rush in itself .. there are no rules with them, its an unbiased acceptance of all the traits, quirks, characteristics that make us unique - and there are those handful of people who appreciate and accept that ... its pretty amazing .. :)
I know that without my studs & divas (read boys & girls) - I'd be lost if not at a loss ..
Div you got the tears running into my eyes. Iv always wondered who am I to to many people that came and left my life. As for people who left my life, I still do remember them maybe the picture of their eyes has is now vague, but I still remember their voices. Sometimes I sit and wonder do they still remember me, do they still miss me do they still want to contact me?
Now I really have to send this poem to a person I know a person who’s been in my life for some time yet I still can’t manage to crack his code. Maybe ill have a clear definition of my presence in his life as an answer. Ill update you with his reply maybe we could spend some time cracking up his code :p
Div you rock !!!!!!!!
@ Nadin .. habibti .. I know your feeling .. its the ones who have gone from your life that you sometimes wonder who were you to them .. Send it to him, see if the code cracks - and if not - we shall crack it together :) xx
"How many of me have you come across today?" - I wish I could send this to someone I have lost touch with. I already know the answer but it would be nice to leave that thought out there :)
I strongly believe that with some people (verrrry select few) - you just know that you are thought of, that you've made an impression, that you left a good part of you with them.
For the rest, if you have to wonder, then they really shouldnt matter.
There is something mysterious at work - wherein the relevant, meaningful connections just must work both ways - be it any equation - acquaintances, friends, family or something more intimate.
And I believe NO one can truly know who we really are - not parents, not childhood friends. As we age or grow with experiences, we reveal less of ourselves to others. I realise that I still surprise myself in some instances -far away from fully knowing myself. But I like it that way - whats life without some unexpected!
I loved this - was on my mind, last couple of days so dint comment rightaway!
@purple..
BOOM! You hit me on the head with this one.. "As we age or grow with experiences, we reveal less of ourselves to others" SO TRUE!! For me, its not so much of what people know of me.. its more about what I choose to reveal to them about myself....to what extent I allow them to be a part of my little world.
So then am I to blame for not being remembered? Coz I didnt open the door wide enough for them to actually come in and make themselves comfortable? Even if they wanted to?
Interesting....
So I am thinking, if you realllly wanted to be remembered by someone or to make a mark - you may have opened the door (by reflex), tad little more. And what makes you think, that the ones who wanted to get comfortable but you dint let them - wont remember you. Just coz of that, they might. Or even v/versa - wherein they got comfortable but left effortlessly -may wonder - what if !?!?
Are we just happy knowing someones name or face or knowing the bare superficial basics? Do our experiences and prejudices stop us from knowing more? Do we usually end up “not” liking them, when we know more?
I wonder, if the more I know of someone, the more I pull away - also for the fear of having to reveal a bit more about myself. I fiercely guard, how much one must see of me.
Connections must have to work both ways - but alas, usually with varying degrees
Musical chairs, indeed!
ps:- I have surprised myself by having this conversation, wahh!
hmm.. I think for me, knowing just the faces and the bare superficial basics works fine with most people I interact with. I find it very easy to make friends.. so if I gel with a particular person where we think along the same lines, then I would like to get to know them better. If there's just a casual friendly interaction, I dont see the point in building a relationship where I probably will lose interest in as time goes by.
@ PurplePatch … It’s always nice to leave that thought out there … I know when I wrote this – I had someone in mind; it still stands – and I believe I know the answer … but sometimes an affirmation would be nice Not that I am one to need it – but human nature I suppose allows for such self-indulgences.
Agreed – with that select group of people – you always know where you stand in terms of the impression you have made on them and that whatever they have of you is ‘good’ … The rest don’t really matter … and it’s true – no one really knows who we are – not even ourselves as we are constantly evolving as individuals due to our experiences …
@ Ve & PurplePatch … I think the older we get, and the richer our experiences, we tend to become a bit more aware of ourselves and in knowing more about ourselves – we tend to reveal less to others around us … I believe that we all have a particular close knit crew that would know our layers; whilst the rest of those around us are only aware of the outer layers that we choose to reveal to them … and as Ve has put – we keep a boundary on how much involvement they have in our private world …
There are some who would want to be a bigger part of our lives – but our instincts to protect ourselves don’t allow them the inside glimpses / or the rite of passage into our lives … and in doing so; in some instances they are the ones who remember us the most because they might always wonder ‘who we really are’ because they never got a chance to know more about us …
I find it very easy to make friends and acquaintances – I know that 99% of the people I meet will remember me in some form or the other – but that doesn’t mean that they know me … Like PurplePatch – I have a guard about me that I know about and with each individual I meet – there is only that much about myself that I want to reveal … there are casual acquaintances, long term acquaintances, social friends, true friends and family ... and ironically I think it is our families that know the least about us as individuals (at least in my case) - sure they know what you show to them but do they really know that other life you lead ?
LOL... I agree completely!! My family knows only knows half of who I am.. and its not even like the other half is so waay out there that I cant show them that side.. I just choose not to. Its like... famly is on a need-to-know basis.. and for now, this is pretty much all they need to know!
Simply great!!
@ Vyankatesh .. very glad that you enjoyed it and stopped by :)
That's a tough question to answer. And we won't get all the answers at an instant because life is a journey of self discovery.If we are confused about who we are, then we'll live in that confusion and miss our purpose and destiny.
The sooner we start discovering who we are and start travelling along that unique path of destiny, the sooner we will begin to leave memorable impressions on those we meet. And they will know for sure who we are and what we stand for. Thanks for sharing
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