I Am Not a Martyr (I Am Strong)

I am not a martyr,

no,

I am not a crumbling wall

you need to tear down and build back up

in your vision of beautty

and I am not wilted,

not pitiful,

not ragged or torn.

 

Please stop pretending

that I am not made of twisted wire,

glass and steel,

moonlight and starlight and sunlight and sky,

impenetrable stone and soft earth,

stardust and sandy beaches,

cinnamon and lavendar and soap,

everything in the universe - 

we are one and I know this now.

 

I know now that I am hills and valleys

and soft blankets on rainy-black mornings

and I am fireworks splashing onto somber clouds,

giggles and giddiness;

I am the moment before you step on stage,

the moment just before you hear a secret,

the moment right before diving into a sun-heavy pool - 

I am anticipation

and love

and so full of life.

 

Let me live like a planet

and die like a star,

let me support others

and love them all with myself.

 

For I was born on mountaintops,

forged in salt and steel;

I am an iron sword 

cutting through anything and everything 

that's ever held me down

and my blood is made of fire,

I am drenched in starlight

and when I bleed,

comets pool from my veins.

 

I was made for greatness

and I have faced demons head-on,

near-drowned in the swollen bellies of rain-greedy streams

but I have bathed in the ocean

and all its mystery propels me.

 

I nursed on ice and soot,

nurtured by all the fires of hell

and I have the devil in my soul

so don't dare to confront me;

don't hesitate to bow down at my feet.

 

I am strong,

I am so strong

and I am not a martyr

(please don't make me your saint);

just let me be my own savior

and not worry about the rest of the world for once,

please let me feel like sunshine tastes

and let me rein in the entire world - 

better yet, just let me reign.

This poem is about: 
Me

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