A Unique Celebration
Always stood out from any crowd,
I know not why Providence blessed me as such.
Never wanting my individuality cast under a shroud,
My essential nature, pure to the touch.
Was diagnosed with hydrocephalus in my very early youth,
Enlarged skull a permanent reminder of who I really am,
Spent so many years living in the shadows of untruth,
I fight it, no longer wishing to endure this mindless sham.
Sometimes I wonder why God chose me,
A 1 in 2500 chance isn't all that rare,
The ignorant hordes simply refuse to let me be,
Just try and crush my spirit - IF YOU DARE!
My thirty-plus years give me an essential insight,
I never ever wished to be in this way defined,
Misery and darkness now give way to hope and light,
Those who know me well get exactly what they hope to find.
It was so very, very hard to disclose,
Those vultures of destiny quick to point and snigger,
What is truly in my heart only God knows,
And only he can end my life by pulling fate's trigger.
I never realised what warmth people had inside,
Their smiles touching my very soul,
Don't ever again feel the need to cringe and hide,
To educate the universe my ultimate goal.
If you don't know me, do you know how I ignite with love inside?
I may be different, but that doesn't make me wrong,
Behind every irregularity I exist, I'm human, I've nothing to hide,
Unique, that's me - and right now, I've never EVER felt so strong.
(C) NZ 2006.
Comments
I wrote this poem on 2
I wrote this poem on 2 October 2006, at the age of 32. I'd been writing for a very long time by then (18 years) and the ideas for this poem, I guess, were at the back of my mind for about 15 years and I was forever toying with the idea of whether or not I should actually sit down and write it. I always knew I stood out in a major way but could never quite figure out how to turn my uniqueness to my advantage, until I first picked up a pen, that is. My intention in writing this was to prove that we are all different, no matter much we think we're not. In my own example, I drew strength from realising that individuality is what drives us to excel ourselves. I've always said, if it wasn't for people who were individuals, we'd all still be talking in grunts, running around in loin cloths and living in caves! I think it's important to realise that the world has a way of conditioning us by very powerful means. If you're strong, though, you never let the best of yourself get away.