Don’t forget to be you

In the midst of the storm
In the swirl of events
In your own rising tide:
Of thoughts, of feelings, of concerns
Of painful memories
Of iniquities, of falsehood
Don’t forget that you’re not them,
Neither are you blended with them
You’re not the race, neither the scream of things
You’re the presence who acknowledges them, and everything around— you’re…you.

Don’t forget to be you
In the face of others
Despite differences and judgements
Be all in—
Be all in bein’ you.

Own yourself, as said Nietzsche
Be true, imperfect,
Be genuine.

Fight the hardest battle, as said Cummings,
Being nobody but yourself,
Even when you stray from your path.

Don’t forget your human nature
Even in the urban jungle
And its artificial madness
And its implementing decrees
Don’t let the beat of city’s heart
Dictate how your own heart swings.

Don’t forget to check your own skin
Even when hitting concrete skies
Check your lungs and your living breath
Don’t forget nature, please connect…
Greet water—greet ants, birds and flies
Hug trees and dance breaking the rules
As did our DNA.

Don’t forget others are themselves
Don’t blame them for who they are
Don’t knock them because of your own disappointments and sorrow
Your sorrow is yours, their deeds are theirs
You can’t read the scrolls of their hearts.

You may try to fix things, but let others be free
Free to try, to fail, to enjoy
To skin their knees on rising slopes
Let them be cheated and misled
Let them be happy and laugh loud

Let their wilderness rise and
Let their bloody wounds blossom
Let them fall in their mirror’s maze
And their thirst and loneliness get lost.

You learn by practice, from your mistakes,
And they learn things by themselves too.

And also—
Don’t forget to be who you aren’t
(Yeah, it may sound like paradox—and it is)

What I mean is: Don’t forget to dream
Don’t get caught up in your “shall be”
Be playful with life—
Life is packed with the unexpected
And with the odd and the uncharted…
So be it.

This mess is wonder,
And so are you.

.

Author: Yael Assia

Image: Flickr/Mike Lacroix; Flickr/woodleywonderworks

Editors: Yoli Ramazzina; Nicole Cameron