"I Am..." by Robert Brown What a simple phrase this is Most people could complete it readily But are the answers meaningful? Thought out? Are they even true? Allow me to try my hand at this And I will see just how truthful I can be. I am...happy I have a relatively good life And a number of close friends My writing is enjoyed by many And I have touched many lives I don't want for much And what there is I don't need But the truth is There is an emptiness inside One that has existed a long time And may never be filled A gaping hole in my heart and soul That grows a little larger every day I don't always feel it Especially when I am with those I care for But I am constantly aware of it So I guess in reality I am...sad. I am...brave I'll try everything at least once There is nothing I can't do for the ones close to me Whatever it takes Whatever the cost I will keep any promise I make But the truth is Being brave is only a facade Easily cracked when examined closely My honor is a shield Protecting me from the things I would rather not do Because I promise knowing I will never be called on to fulfill them So I guess in reality I am...a coward. I am...strong I can take the world's problems onto my shoulders And solve them all one by one I can support anyone through any Difficulty they may face Help them beat them back Until they find their way home But the truth is I cannot handle my own problems And I hide it by helping others I do not know how to ask for help Nor how to accept it Or to even want it So I guess in reality I am...weak. I am...a help Always there for my friends Without being asked Without reservation Giving of myself without Asking anything in return Or wanting anything either But the truth is I do it to help myself I want people to rely on me It is how I measure my own worth If they all became self-sufficient I would become nothing I keep them dependent For my own sake not theirs So I guess in reality I am...a hindrance. I am...alive Blood courses through my body Pumped along by every beat Of my heart My brain works as do My other organs But the truth is I am merely surviving Day to day I go through the motions Flashes of life becoming All too brief in my soul Seconds and minutes Hours and days All blurring together like some Unfocused picture until it All fades away So I guess in reality I am...dead.