Epigraphic Poem

It’s the Way I’m Meant to Be

Free Verse

Self portrait in pencil by the writer — look familiar?!

‘For unless I am myself, I am nobody’
Virginia Woolf

I’m only ever who I am
There’s only ever one of me
I can’t be anyone but myself
It’s the way I’m meant to be
If I wasn’t who I am
I would cease being only me
And for me there really is no other

© Carolyn Hastings 2022

I’ve written this poem in response to Paper Poetry’s Week 13 epigraphic poetry prompt based on Virginia Woolf’s quote: ‘for unless I am myself, I am nobody.’

My original idea had been to write something completely different, but then I read some of Thomas Plummer’s and Gun Roswell’s pieces and was inspired — influenced — by their ‘tying themselves up in knots’ writing styles. I mean that as a compliment because it’s a style that’s fun to read and leaves you going, ‘Wow, what was that?!’ 😄

👉 Thomas Plummer’s, He Who Was Me —