MONIKER | PEOPLE | POETRY

My Moniker’s Josh! And You?

“I’m not my name. My name is something I wear, like a shirt. It gets worn. I outgrow it, I change it.” — Jerry Spinelli

Photo by Slim Emcee on Unsplash

Josela Elmar,
were my live birth names;
I found out later,
my mom shared them, too,
with my brother,
They do differ
from my baptismal entries,
Matilde, a saint’s name,
and Josela, from my grandpa Jose.

I had a hard time
writing them
during my kinder years;
so long when paired
with my parents’ surname.

Finally, I have decided
to change to the latter
as needed, before leaving
my alma mater.

My name history
does not end here
My classmates teasingly
call me “the living saint”
(Now, you’re smiling)
Maybe because
I’m so peaceful and silent;