By myself, I am reminded
Who I am, inside and out.
Not who I appear to be,
Not who I want to be,
But deep down,
Who I really am.
It takes some honest looking.
Even criticism.
And sometimes it hurts.
But it is good to know
Who we really are.
And when we’re alone,
Calm, sincere, open,
We can learn things
About ourselves
That we might never
Have realized before.
Sometimes it takes a crisis.
It does if you never reflect.
Something pushes you
To try to figure things out.
Why am I the way that I am?
And what am I going to do about it?
Sometimes you realize something
Very good about yourself.
And sometimes it is something
Not so good that concerns you.
Taking time alone to think
Can bring some startling surprises.
Poets United
Thursday Think Tank #57
Stumbling along the sidewalk 
Yes, indeed, Gordon. Surprises can lie in wait…until we can have that moment alone. There are times when I look for those moments…and times when I do what I can to avoid those moments. That, in and of itself, is telling.
Once again, I admire the honesty with which you write.
~Paula
Thanks, Paula. Yes, you are right. Really surprises can come either way, but we can know ourselves better if we take some personal time for ourselves to reflect.
I understand what you mean about avoiding those moments. I am like that with prayer and Bible study. Something about encountering the Holy Face of the Most High intimidates me. Call me crazy! : ) Of course that is a little different, but perhaps not as different as it seems at first.
Honest to a fault, that’s me.
Gordon
It’s only when you really look inside yourself that most answers are found. It is good to have that quiet time for introspection/meditation/prayer for its in the stillness, we find ourselves as we truly are, not the outer dress up in to suit other peoples idea of who we are.
This is truth, itself, you!
Thanks, Daydreamer. I appreciate your affirmation and wisdom. And to heck with what other people think! Being our true selves is key to being happy. You are so right.
Refreshing view; to look inward and discover~ Nicely done~
Thanks, Ellen. I like that. Of course, what you discover is yourself. But what a discovery! 🙂
Thank you for joining Poets United. We look forward to visiting your blog and reading poetry. We also look forward to seeing you in our community.
Ink runs from the corners of my mouth
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.
~Mark Strand