The "In"-s and "Out"-s of The Fibers of my Being.

Wed, 10/28/2015 - 18:27 -- daniele

My name is Daniele, spelled with one “L” instead of two because I was born weighing one pound, eleven ounces, and my parents decided to select a unique name for a unique baby.

My name, along with the faint marks on my skin which whisper how much of a survivor I've been since birth, is my battle scar.

I am an only child, but I do not feel alone.

I am cousin number 70 on my father’s side, cousin number 3 on my mother’s side, a friend to innumerable scores of people, and the one daughter to two helicopter parents.

I am Hispanic, Italian, and Irish, and I am proud of all three of these.

Each part of me takes root in my soul, manifests itself, and blooms into a flower so fragile I will never neglect tending for it yet so beautiful I would never want to ignore it anyway. I am a mix of my ancestors’ separate histories and identities, a blend of cultures past and present, a person comprised not of skin and bone, but of language and tradition.

I am an aspiring law student, and I am an aspiring polyglot. (I am capable of speaking conversational English, Spanish, and American Sign Language, and I am currently learning Russian.)

I am loud when I speak, from the moment my voice cuts through the early dawn’s haze as I wish my parents a good morning to the moment I finish talking to one of my friends on my cell-phone at night, the battery-light flashing its crimson warning sign and the phone’s surface burning hot against my palm. My laugh is even louder than my voice.

I am a writer. Words flow from my pen easily, cascading onto whatever blank page has made itself readily available, forming the letters and words and sentences of whatever emotion is clawing at my heart or etching itself into my bones at the time.

I am 17 years old, and I had starting telling people this about one month before my birthday came with the (admittedly weak) justification that “it’s only one month away, anyway.”

I am a restaurant hostess, Supreme Court intern, Youth Court advocate, and 4-layer cappuccino maker extraordinaire; I often joke that the last title was the hardest to earn, although clearly, I don't actually believe that. The other three were all pleasant things born of hard work and devotion, and all three have affected my life far more than I had ever previously imagined possible.

I am an ambivert. Many nights, I enjoy curling up inside of an old woolen blanket, bowl of ice cream in hand, and watching reruns of terribly-produced reality television shows that feature some promise of romance and hilarity. Other nights, I eagerly run alongside a close-knit group of friends, out into the open space where the streetlights glow and the cool air hums with the assurance of adventure.

I am very attached to my morning routine, which requires me to wake up at 5:50 and get ready in 15 minutes. I do this as quickly as possible so I can take a nap for the next 45 minutes, then reawaken to catch the bus. I am aware that my morning routine does not necessarily make sense, but I’ll continue following it because I am nothing if not a lover of traditions (even if I’ve set them up myself).

I am a dedicated fanatic of horror movies, as long as they are not composed of mindless gore—I’ll take my gore with a thoroughly-developed plot, thank you.

I am a lover of poetry.

I am a feminist.

I am someone who loves attention and doesn’t see anything wrong with that; everyone likes feeling appreciated and loved by others, and I don’t quite comprehend why we as a people stigmatize that.

I am someone who has her headphones surgically attached to her ears 99.9% of the time; music, like writing, is a life source of mine.

I am a daydreamer, wishful thinker, storyteller, and full-blooded optimist.

My name is Daniele, and I can confidently declare that I will leave my mark on the world someday.

This poem is about: 
Me
My family
My community
Poetry Terms Demonstrated: 

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741