Who I AM, Who I'm NOT, and Who I Will BE

written as a sample for an assignment for my students

Attempts to define me must take in
the three-fold nature of my being
I am a triptych
a self-contained  trilogy

Like the triple goddesses
the Narns, the Morrigan
no attempt to understand me is complete
without the triune aspects of my soul

I am too tall for heels
and lots of pants
too smart for most guys
too Southern when I say “Mississippi”

I’m an eager student of everything
a collector of owls and pottery,  images and words
cats and dogs,PEZ and Potato Heads
connoisseur of fast cars and smart blue-eyed men

Soy una hispanohablante
a wannabe lusophone
a hardcore Japanophile
a defender of the Queen’s English

I am a teacher and a child of teachers
caretaker of a legion of fur
middling musician
Queen of my classroom domain

I’m not always patient, good, graceful, or kind
Not able to suffer fools gladly
Not always able to keep my temper
despite my best efforts to the contrary

I’m not going to be here forever
not going to miss an opportunity
to grow my soul
to see the soil of another country

I’m not married and
I’m not sad about that
except in those few minutes
when there is something extraordinary to share

I am going to be wiser after every day, good or bad
I’m going back to Brazil someday soon
going to be less tired and more healthy
going to make myself a priority, too.

Dylan says behind every beautiful thing
there’s been some kind of pain
All my scars will make me lovely
and I’ll spread my glossy black wings
and fly away.