I am human
I am Manu — first
man, rescuing my people
from ice-age thawing.
I am Achilles
single-handedly taking
the fight to Troy’s gates.
I am Odysseus,
tying myself to the mast
to hear the Sirens.
I am Sita, not
afraid to break free of my
patriarchal culture.
I am Cicero,
forging words into weapons
that change people’s minds.
I am Arjuna,
killing my family to free
the world of evil.
I am Lincoln, forced
to fight my own to put an
end to slavery.
I am the Buddha,
cutting through blind faith to help
enlighten humans.
I am Nakkeeran,
challenging the very gods
and proving them wrong.
I am Draupadi,
standing steadfast in my goal
to destroy evil.
I am Jesus, so
willing to suffer despite
bitter consequence.
I am Nietzsche, now
that god is dead demanding
humans rise to the task.
I am Confucius,
saying — do to others as
you’d like done to you.
I am Washington,
fighting a revolution
that inspired the world.
I am Ginsberg, howl-
ing against the military
industrial complex.
I am Kannagi,
destroying an unjust king
through power of virtue.
I am Churchill, not
willing to ever give up
fighting fascism.
I am Rumi, not
afraid to surrender
to the power of love.
I am Gandhi, the
force of truth dismantling the
world’s greatest empire.
I am ML King,
willing to keep loving when
blows are raining down.
I am Tagore, bard
calling for freedom from the
bondage of nations.
I am Kaniyan,
singing — every place is home,
everyone’s family.
I am Siva, here
to destroy the old to pave
the way for the new.
I am all humans,
fighting for my natural right
to be my sovereign.
©️ Siva Raj, 2019
