The Person I Can Be

A poem I wrote as a sophomore in high school expressing what I was feeling at the time.

If others could only see
This fire that burns inside of me
The raging flames of earnest and desire
My many talents and dreams to aspire.

I long to show a side of me unseen
To allow this radiant light in me beam
With brilliance and splendor
All that I wish for
Is a chance for people to see
The person I can be.

As I look into the mirror
And so intently peer
O search for the girl I used to be
Overflowing with innocence and glee
Yet I hardly recognize
Behind a whirlwind of lies
The young woman standing before me
This person is not me.

I want only to unravel the layers
I have hidden under so long in despair
To set myself free and let others see
My true colors
The pieces that make up me.

My insides scream out and cry
No longer can I lie
Nor suppress the way I feel inside.

I look deep within my heart
And though I'm torn apart
I see a chance to start over and be free
A need for people to see
The person I can be.