Where am I going?
Where have I gone?
I look at myself knowing
That the me I portray is a con.

When I look inside myself I see
This isn’t who I really am
But who is the me that I want to be?
I feel like a pearl trapped inside of a clam.

Like the clam, I have hard outer shells;
But when you look deeper you’ll discover
Inside of me something more spectacular dwells—
A pearl someone needs to uncover.

I know my shell is hard to break;
Why can’t I break it on my own?
I can’t break it because I know what is at stake
And I just can’t do it alone.

What happens if I break the shell and don’t find a pearl inside?
What if all I find is a speck of dust?
What if to myself I’ve lied?
I guess to break the shell, I just don’t have enough trust.

So I stay a shell because I’m terrified;
Scared of what happens next;
For even if inside of me a pearl is verified,
In today’s world, people will be perplexed.

A pearl in a world of empty clams is not accepted well.
But what people never understand is a pearl starts out as a speck of sand;
It is time that simply smooths, sculpts, and shapes the sand until it begins to swell;
A pearl is simply the clam’s protection from the irritation of the dirt that it wants banned.

No, a pearl is not formed in a perfect setting;
A pearl must persevere.
A pearl is a result of imperfections and the oyster letting
Something beautiful appear.

Honestly, I’m irritated too.
I’m sick of just being a shell.
Yes, I’m imperfect, but what am I to do?
Am I just sand or am I a pearl? Even I cannot tell.

I look deeper and ask myself, “What have I to lose
If I break the shell and find no pearl dwells within?”
I realize in that moment I can be whatever I choose,
I must break open my shell and see what is inside; for if inside a pearl dwells, to hide it would be a sin.

I can’t be just a shell any more.
I must uncover my pearl.
And because being a simple shell like everyone else is such a bore
I think I’ll give being myself a whirl.