The Skin I'm In

The skin I'm in

is what you see

this outer shell

is not all of me

So quick to judge

by what's on display

sure you know me 

without hearing my say

Before, I would show

only what was expected

Certain my me-ness

would leave me rejected

Now older and wiser

I reveal yang and yin

finally at peace

with the skin I'm in

Author's Note

Yes, I made up a word.

Reviews

[Frieda P]

I'm loving the poetic license you took here, nothing else would have worked quite as nice. It's so true, it takes time to be comfortable in our own 'skin' and let our true selves all hang out....by the time we get it all figured out, it starts falling apart. Haha, not you, you're still a youngster. I really like this one Rita...good message.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you! Haven't been called a youngster in forever! ;)

[Frieda P]

My pleasure on both counts! ;-)

[Pryde Foltz]

Great write. Yes, power in self-acceptance. But I laugh at your Author's note because of a poem that's in the works.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thanks, Pryde. Of course, there would be a similarity... :)

[Angi]

Rita, every time I read one of your pieces, I relate! So glad I found you!

[Rita L. Sev]

Back at you, Angi! Thank you!

[quinfinn]

i like made up words when they work, this whole piece works very well. i wrote a similar piece a few months ago but i won't name it here, this is your moment. i am impressed with this write!

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you - glad you enjoyed! We seem to share some common themes...

[quinfinn]

that, we do!

[Constance Payne]

Hey, someone had to at one time make up every single word that is the or will ever be in the dictionary! LOVE IT!

I would like to share this with a friend if that would be alright.

[Rita L. Sev]

It is absolutely alright for you to share this poem (or any of mine!) Thank you!

[Constance Payne]

https://www.facebook.com/hopeforthelost?ref=hl

This is where your poem was shared...it is a page offering a place of safety for those who are suffering.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Constance. I am truly honored.

[Constance Payne]

You are welcome. This has already touched several and will by the sharing touch more. A life touched is a mind expanded.

[Pete Langley]

As someone who looks and sounds completely at odds with how I write, I appreciate this piece so much, Rita. Whatever other`s perceptions of you, the more you show the real you, the truer the reaction will be. Well done. P.

[Rita L. Sev]

Yes, it's taken a long time for me to figure this out, but you are absolutely right, kind sir! Thank you for reading and affirming!

[Amy Azra Dean]

Aww a great poem I feel at one with myself, simply put, but powerful thanks for the write!

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you for reading!

[SyberRose]

yes you did...meness ha.. well mine isnt as supple as it once was ha...

[Rita L. Sev]

Haha! Whose is, SyberRose? ;)

[Jake Botha]

A very honest and revealing look into the kind of person you are. Most people never feel that they are able to show their inner soul. Always hiding behind a veneer of what they feel everyone wants to see.

Great piece. Always hold on to your, me-ness... or is it you-ness now? :)

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Jake! Yes, as Yevgeny Yevtushenko wrote, "A poet's autobiography is his poetry." Here, we get to show our true selves in our writing. Thank you for reading, and for your kind review!

[James Hanna-Magill]

Dear Rita

I thought it was high time I popped over and said hello.

And so to your poem.

The world of appearance and reality.

The world of youth and maturity.

There is a straightforwardness to this piece.

I can enjoy pieces like this as much as if not more at times than those whose meanings are obscured to leave the reader guessing their meaning.

On the topic of interpretation of art, I love Picasso's words about his symbolistic paintings.

His words can apply equally at times to some of our writing.

Take his painting Guernica for example which we know relates to the Spanish Civil War.

But what do the symbols all mean?

Picasso used to get very angry when asked the literal meaning of his paintings. He said 'You wouldn't ask that of a piece of music, why ask it of a painting?'

And writing as an art form? Same may apply.

But others paint realistic seascapes too!

In some of my writing, I try to widen the door for the reader because I want to convey a clear message. And that is what you do very effectively here.

'Now older and wiser' at the end follows on well from the earlier verse 'Before I would show.'

Your opening lines make the whole complaint of the piece:

'The skin I'm in
is what you see
this outer shell
is not all of me'

Yes. We are more than how we appear.

It's the whole thing of perception.

There's the person I think I am. There's the person others think I am. And there's the person I really am.'

'So quick to judge
by what's on display
sure you know me
without hearing my say'

What you see is not necessarily what you get. I am not defined by how I look or appear at surface value. Nor should you or anyone be. And as you state, 'Would you mind awfully listening to what I have to say'?!

'Before, I would show
only what was expected
Certain my me-ness
would leave me rejected'

The expression of the younger view of life.

Robotic.

I must be the perfect mother maybe, the perfect teacher, the perfect of the perfect whatever.

I have to be what others want me to be and not how I want to be.

Running away indeed from actually showing who we really are in case we are as bad as we fear we are and get rejected for it.

By the way all honour to 'me-ness'.

And then you land us finally upon a profound statement with which I whole heartedly agree and so should we all.

'Now older and wiser
I reveal yang and yin
finally at peace
with the skin I'm in'

I do love the concept of yin and yang. Opposites but complementary but even more than that together they are more than the sum of the parts.

That is you.

That is me.

And that is everyone else.

If you find yourself extraordinarily bored one evening, you might like to have a look at (no need to review) my tiny comic piece on here called 'Expectations' which runs a little along these lines.

And yes, as you know, I can do humorous in addition to the more sombre in my writing, as well as brevity not that this review or indeed any of mine are a good example of the latter (cough)!

This is charming and very honest writing.

I am very fond of Picasso, but sometimes I can get a bit tired of him.

Why?

Because apart from anything else he appeared at times to be a grumpy old man and you most certainly aren't!

It is lovely to review your writing Rita and this piece now too.

Well written and with a very clear profound meaning which applies to us all.

With my best wishes and in all friendship as always


James

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, James. I appreciate that you recognize that I am not a "grumpy old man"! :) Actually, I truly appreciate your thorough review - helps e to know that I am on the right track. As for "me-ness" - I really did try other words, but nothing else said it as well. :)

[RainC]

Love it!

[Rita L. Sev]

Thanks!