Wednesday, February 3, 2016

ONE FORM OF IDENTIFICATION





A card
with details, a photo
that's what I show
when I'm asked to prove
who I am.  
But,
I am, therefore I think
it's insufficient evidence
of me.

That card proves I'm not homeless,
I exist in time and space
it clearly discloses
But not how or why I live.
(Or that I lied about my weight.)

It shows a picture of a lady,
her smile plastic on plastic,
flat, distorted dimensions
of who she really is.

(For Poets United where we're asked to write about "identity".




14 comments:

  1. I smiled all the way through this......wonderful! Love the sketch too. I especially like "it's insufficient evidence of me."

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  2. Yes, those identity cards show VERY little of who the PERSON is behind those simple details. What a meaningless summing up of life, when you come to think of it!

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  3. The official ID of who we are? But, I wonder who we really are? As, we are all unique. I don't think a plastic smile on a plastic card gives us the full picture.

    I don't think you would be the only one lied about weight. That made me smile.

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  4. I am so many people. On different days, in different company, in different moods. Any card is most definitely insufficient (and inaccurate) evidence of me.

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  5. Neatly done and so true! It tells as much about us as a bar code tells about a food item. Maybe a little more.

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  6. yes one form of identification and not the true identity...love your last stanza...

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  7. I am..therefore I think!!! Nicely done!

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  8. i enjoyed reading it.True, that card says who or what we are.

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  9. How very true - and i love how you have captured the thought almost like we were there with you standing in a queue holding the card and thinking about what it means (the lie about the weight made me smile - don't we all) - wonderful illustration also..

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  10. A wise observation Myrna indeed identification cards can not prove who we truly are. Beautifully executed :D


    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  11. "Who are you?"

    "Here's my driver's license. It tells you all you need to know."

    (Wouldn't that be an interesting, or disturbing, exchange?)

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  12. I like your reference to Descartes 'cogito ergo sum'. Lying about your weight gave me a giggle too!

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  13. I like the part where you lied about your weight ;-)
    Lovely.

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  14. Good one, Myrna. I immediately thought of false IDs, identity theft and the way that our society likes to pigeon hole us using little bits of plastic with some empty data on them...

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