You’re Never Who You Want To Be

A Poem

My Photo

I heard somewhere that
you’re never who
you want to be imagined.

People create realities
in their mind of an example
that your image may not
exemplify, those memories
when they’re remembered
it’s like losing pieces of a puzzle
those edges broken, crumpled
at trying to bring back
specific reel details of it
we aren’t made to be
projectors with eyes
playing out the scenes
of the past on a blank, white wall
for us to replay things
and others remember things
different than your memory bank
when we bring up
images from back when
it changes,
morphs
becomes a slide
that burns for too long
and the edges singe
sulfur filling your nose
to remind your mind
that it isn’t dependable.