Deja Vu at Paper Poetry

Lost and Found

A free verse poem about self with help from Virginia Woolf

illustration by writer

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

I lost myself along the way
the push and pull of life’s refrain
be everything to everyone
all at once and one for all
you’re here to serve, to do some good
reward is giving — give-give, give more
missed the warning, was there one?
don’t be a martyr, you’ll come undone
the servant’s torch will burn you out
light be gone, beware the dark
sure enough, it came to pass
I felt empty, null and dead inside
who am I, I do not know
tell me please, I beg to hear
my identity’s gone, nought’s left of me
I gave and gave as l thought I should
I gave so much, I gave my self…

Whoa! Stop right there, rewind the tape
this is wrong, it can’t go on
I am me, I know I am
my soul is not for sale nor hire
I shan’t gift it to everyone…