I, If Not

What am I if not a man Meant to stay the boy If not the truth Meant to stay the story If not the excitement Developed from the boring If not myself Then am I somebody else? What am I if not a coward Meant to be the brave If not the person Afraid to show his face If not the man I've dreamt of all my days If I'm not him Then I must be awake What am I if not the story unfolding If not the passer who began holding If not the code decoding What am I after all this is taken away? What am I, if not me?