"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.