A Brief Poem Reflecting My True Self

II Am

I am that woman you see next door.

I am that woman that has screamed in silence all while wearing a smile to maintain others happiness.

I am that woman that can not only adapt in most, if not all, environments as well as among most walks of life.

I have been beaten on. I have been cheated on. I have been betrayed.

I have had parts of me taken against my will & my dignity stolen.

I have been deceived & manipulated by those who I thought never would or were even capable.

I have adapted to a world where one quickly understands survival.

I am just not the one to be trifled with anymore.

I am no longer the one to be played with & that is simply because there is no better teacher in life than surviving pain itself.

I am the one continuing to stand firm in knowing adversity does build character & my character is nothing if not genuinely authentic.

I like to be underestimated because this is where I thrive.

I will find ways to overcome & even when that pressure is applied.

I am exactly who I am supposed to be.

I have fought against & for who I am at every turn & opportunity.

I have made countless epic mistakes & did so knowingly, at times, with no regard for consequences.

I have also put in the work to avoid making those same epic mistakes a second & at times even a third.

I hold myself accountable for my own choices & actions now & always.

I have lived & loved but most importantly, I have been loved.

I have no regrets, for regret is nothing more than a misguided notion to never hold the capability of change.

I & I alone determine & decide my every choice & or decision.

I have seen, faced & succumbed to legit demons both mentally, emotionally & physically.

I took those failures & learned to rise from the ashes.

I am me.

I only ask, without expectation, that others make their best efforts to be their true self & if they make no effort than to just simply stay out of my orbit.

I believe in respect & consideration for others for several reasons, but mostly because right is right & wrong is simply wrong.

I give respect upon initial contact & will always continue to do so, until it is proven to me that that very privilege, in my respect, is no longer a viable option.

I give my disrespect to those who earn as much & do so with deadly force.

I trust a select few & I unconditionally love even less.

I am loyal to a fault.

I have learned to choose wisely where my loyalty lies now & forever.

I am a child of God, a forgiven sinner before anything else.

I am a woman.

I am a mother.

I have been a wife, a daughter, a co-worker, a life saver, the antagonist, the protagonist & a multitude of other things in this life.

I am whatever others may perceive me & require me to be in their minds & that is everyone’s reality.

I know who & what I am.

I have little to no concern as to what another may perceive me as & or to be.

I have learned to not be concerned about or even think about the perception of myself by others when my own perception of myself is much jaded & strict.

I align my words with my actions & do so with little expectation.

I am built to love hard & to also play hard.

I continue to grow & learn & it keeps my core values strong.

I am a force you may not see coming & a force to be reckoned with.