Am I Anyone But Myself

Who am I If not Myself? Am I more than my namesake? More than my cotton-candy-curls, More than my clever way with words? Am I more than my mother saw in me When she felt the first thump of my heartbeat as the fabric of the world shifted to make room for me - Courageous, ambitious, curiously starved for knowledge of all things. Am I myself without this title, without this definition of my traits? Am I myself if I lack bravery, if I lack wit? Am I myself if I fall short? Am I myself even when my bones are ground Beneath sedimentary layer after layer? Am I myself even when my name disappears From the poorly inscribed pages of my books, Even in the absence of a mouth to profess all that I am In 3 syllables or less? I am the personification of careful articulation, The hallmark of humanity's desperate attempt at creation, A placeholder for all I can and will be. Yet still, I wonder Who am I when I'm not me?