Poetry: Symmetry and Reflections

I Am Only Me

You wanted me to be something that could never be real
You made me into the reason for things you didn't feel
Your fantasy wasn't reality, and you tried to make your perfect
And shape me, mold me into something that I cannot fit
Instead of accepting me, you carved into me something frightening
Twisted and stoic, not working, so then you chose to fight me
Because I can't be the man of your imagination
You tore us apart because I couldn't meet impossible expectations
Now you left behind a hurt that you won't even admit
In your mind no fault is yours, no debate about it

I thought I truly knew you, was what I surmised
I believed the picture you painted, and believed all the lies
And partly because I wanted to, wanting love so badly myself
I put so much stake in you and nothing else
I promise never to put romance on a pedestal so high
Yet here I am again, ready to believe the next lie

I can't help but feel so much, an exposed nerve of emotion
but I've learned it's just who I am, I've come to terms with this notion
I used to see these thoughts and emotions as some kind of curse
but to feel nothing at all would be ten times worse
It hurts to see so many people who seem so cold and numb
they're alive but not living and I feel for them
tis better to love and lost than nothing at all
at least you felt a summer before the next fall

so I'll take what I've been given and let the potential unfurl
and make it into something beautiful to show the world
anything that's bad can be transformed into good
if you just open your eyes, you'll see what you should
tragedy is not the times when things goes wrong
tragedy is when you have a voice yet never sing a song
tragedy is when you don't stoke the fire inside you
and for safety's sake and comfort you stop being true to you
tragedy is letting your circumstances define you
instead through it all, push through and be a better you

Why should I be something else that I'm not?
I can only be me and I will be me a lot
In life you're either the sheep or the shepherd
so make your own choice and don't be one of the herd
And those who dictate your purpose, or who want to change you completely
They're only making you what they don't have the courage to be.

And again I will arise from these fires of life as a phoenix from the ashes
And no one can stop me from feeling and feeding life's passion
And if life tries to burn me up with more trials, and times that are dire
I say to bring it forth and throw me into the fire