Valsa George | + Follow Poet |
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My Fractured Identity

After years of aimless wanderings,
Leaving behind the cities of midnight revels,
And the fevered journey in metro rails,
I am back at the land of my people.

Wherever I went, under which ever roof I slept,
I had carried my land, as a jewel in a casket,
And ensured it rested safe ever under my pillow.

As I moved with aliens,
Unable to merge with their cultural mores,
I saw my land glimmer in darkness,
Like a dew drop on a moon blanched leaf.

When I sweated in the blistering sands,
A patch of green landscape, like an oasis,
Wafted me in a cool embrace.
Then dreams poured in like star light,
And I wandered in the meadows of my youthful love,
My heart struggling to forget old longings,
And memories lashing upon me like tidal waves. 

Pursued by that inalienable shadow,
Suddenly it being born in flesh and blood,
I hastened to the streets of my youth,
With hopes galore and plans vivid.

But alas! There is none to recognize me.
Oh! I am a stranger here, an unwelcome stranger, 
Among total strangers and I wonder which truly is my land- 
The one left behind or the one just landed in?

Oscillating between these two worlds,
My fractured identity looms large,
With worms of memories wriggling in my flesh,
And a myth suddenly dying in my brain!

Copyright © Valsa George | Year Posted 2023

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Susan Ashley Date: 9/5/2025 7:37:00 AM Dearest Valsa, soulful poetess, the longing and heartache is palpably felt in the potent imagery of your poignant poem. The sadness of time only moving forward with the new and different, where familiar people are no longer a part of the present fabric, seeps into the heart with a pang. The contrast between past, present and disappointment is expressed with your rich poetic finesse. Great last line! Congratulations for your success in Mark's contest. Warmest wishes, my dear poet friend.. ~Susan Login to Reply

Rowena Velasco Date: 8/27/2025 8:11:00 PM Such a moving and heartfelt piece, Valsa. The imagery is so vivid, and the sense of longing and displacement really comes through. Beautifully expressed! Login to Reply

Mark Toney Date: 8/27/2025 12:08:00 PM Valsa, a thought provoking poem where you describe experiencing a “fractured identity” crisis between the ‘land of your youth’ and the land of “aimless wandering.” It reminds me of the expression, “you can’t go home again,” since both you, the place, and people have changed over time. Congratulations on your top 10 win on Mile 10 of my 2025 Poetry Marathon Contest. Keep your running shoes on, because Mile 11 has already started. You can find your overall standing in my Mile 10 blog post. Login to Reply Valsa George Date: 8/27/2025 10:35:00 PM Thank you so much dear Mark for the great placement you gave. I am so happy that I stand 7th now in the overall list of winners. I feel humbled and feel happy that I could rub shoulders with some of the great poets of the soup.

Richard Lamoureux Date: 1/18/2024 6:19:00 AM When I think what my in-laws went through to bring 4 children to start a new life in Canada, I am in awe. I wonder how many times they longed to return to what was familiar? They built a good life but sacrificed so much in the process. This is a poignant poem. Well done. Login to Reply

Val Brooklyn Rogers Blk Panther Date: 12/13/2023 5:38:00 AM Hey Valsa I just finished reading MY FRACTURED IDENTITY. I thought It was insightful. Good writing pen Friend. Val Brooklyn Rogers Black Panther! Login to Reply

Mike Bayles Date: 12/9/2023 8:23:00 AM Very powerful, Valsa. It is truly a poem about feeling lost. Login to Reply

Paige Hind Date: 12/8/2023 4:00:00 PM This was a deep one- I am sure many of us can relate. Congrats! Login to Reply

Paula Goldsmith Date: 12/7/2023 8:14:00 PM Congratulations on your win. I enjoyed reading your wonderful write. Have a wonderful day with your win............... Login to Reply

Silent One Date: 12/7/2023 1:50:00 PM A wonderful poem for this contest.. Congratulations on your placement in the contest Login to Reply

Andrea Dietrich Date: 12/7/2023 1:19:00 PM wow, you really made the reader feel that fracture between past and present. Very unique. Login to Reply

Sotto Poet Date: 12/7/2023 9:06:00 AM Such a heartfelt poem depicts the struggle of people who immigrate and lose their identity to a new life. Hearty congratulations on your contest 1st place win. Login to Reply Valsa George Date: 12/7/2023 10:15:00 PM Thanks so much for liking my poem and the great placement you gave. Your acknowledgement means a lot to me.

Silent One Date: 12/6/2023 11:45:00 AM I think that when you have been away from somewhere for a while and return it is difficult to feel the same as so much has changed.. I love where I live, but it has changed so much over the years.. if i went away, i wonder if i would feel like a stranger.. luckily i have a lot of friends and family here.. you poem is deeply emotive and you have written it so well.. Login to Reply

Jay Narain Date: 12/6/2023 9:37:00 AM This is a sentimental journey to roots poem. We all feel the same way. Nice work, Valsa. Login to Reply

Ink Empress Date: 12/5/2023 11:11:00 PM What a resonating write, i am in awe of how your written about returning to a place that you carry so close to your heart to feel like a stranger is truly moving, what a soulful write this is dear valsa. I love so many lines in this especially “I had carried my land, as a jewel in a casket,And ensured it rested safe ever under my pillow” just wow! What a way to describe! And “ With worms of memories wriggling in my flesh,” such a creative ending! The flow and depth of this impeccable! A fave Login to Reply

Tom Cunningham Date: 12/5/2023 11:06:00 PM I'd often heard of people moving away from their roots and returning years later as a stranger, no one recognised them, new buildings and roads built and unfamiliar people. It must be quite soul destroying. Good luck in the contest and hope your week is going well.. Tom Login to Reply