Me and my vain emblem

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This three-piece limerick captures universal struggle for one’s identity. How the masks (vain emblems/hats we wear) eventually alienate us from who we truly are. 
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I never failed to flaunt my vain emblem 
That I wore long years to hide who I am, 
Therefore the man I was 
For long was held in pause, 
And now I scarce know from what roots I stem. 

Now, were I to meet him, say in a lift, 
I wonder, should I doff my hat or lift. 
This dilemma’s dingdong 
Has stayed with me for long, 
And with this odd impasse in life I drift. 

The bell then rings, the heavy doors swing free,
I drop my hat and face the man I see.
I step out of the box,
Unlocking all my locks,
And simply walk away as ah, real me!
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Reflections | 05.02.2009 revised in September 2026|
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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