Do you think you're a person?
What's a person to you?
A guy walking down the street?
The woman behind the register at your favorite coffee shop?
One could argue that, yes.
But here's a better question.
What makes a person a person?
Their appearance?
Their presence?
The fact that they can communicate with you, sense you, and exist as their own being?
Yes, one could argue that as well.
Alas, I have yet another question for you.
If this is the case, is your pet dog or cat a "person"?
They meet all the aforementioned criteria, don't they?
Some affectionately refer to their pets as people, "pet people, my little guy, Lady" to name a few.
Thus, another question.
Considering the above statement is true, how come I'm not a person?
How come when I write my name on your walls, when I see you call your mother and cry to her to let you stay the night because you've "lost your mind", and when I know my presence in this world and the one I now call "home" as one of influence and potential and not one of undeniable insignificance...I'm not considered a person?
I apply for loans, only to receive confused stares and heads turned around to find some prankster. "This man is deceased, sir." You say to your customers, over and over again.
"This man is...he's gone." you repeat to whoever's next in line.
"This man...is mine- was mine." You cry to yourself in your mother's velvet sheets and plush bed coverings.
Please, listen to me. No one's "chasing" you. No one's playing any sick jokes. No one hates you.
As much as you drink yourself away in the comfort of your studio apartment, you know this truth to be self-evident.
I'm alive, darling.
By the strictest definition of the term, I live, exist, sense, and communicate.
So don't deny me when you see my body in the front doorway through your mirror.
Don't tell everyone you need help.
I'm not an "apparition".
I'm not a "ghost".
I'm a person- the one you loved and cherished, and still do.
So treat me like a person.
Stop drinking. Stop running. I'm here for you, and no one else.
You being here keeps me by you.
There's no reunion in the "Afterlife", only a room given to you and a choice to live for someone else.
YOU'RE THAT SOMEONE.
When you're gone, I will be, too. Forever.
So please. Be the person I know you can be.
Don't turn that key. Don't move your left foot. Don't leave the garage. Just go to sleep.
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140,662 Literary Works • 673,584 Reviews
Hello!
I just read this work and I thought it carried it carried a lot of poignancy and it was very well written. I think it offers a very interesting perspective on the world, and it is a perspective I am quite new to. The last line: "Just go to sleep" makes me want to know what happens next, and I feel like it really finished off the piece well. There is so much depth and understanding in this piece, and I feel like it is a very valuable piece of work, that you should read to people and tell them about. I'm sure people would relate to it and enjoy it.
Well done!
Thank you! I didn't really know where I was going with it when I was writing and just sort of let my mind flow, even if my articulation was absolutely flawed.
This is a really interesting topic to me as I've not really thought about this before. Maybe "person" just means human to some, but I think this poem could challenge that and I am now inclined to agree that the term might not be so exclusive. Poems that make you think on things you might not otherwise have always been my favorite and I have nothing but praise for being one of the writers of such a piece.
If none of that was really the intended effect of the poem, here's a little more XD. At the risk of sounding like a broken record and just restating what thecolorofthesky wrote, the flow of this poem is just fantastic and I know for a fact that this is one of the better written pieces currently in the green room. I can honestly say that I'll be looking forwards to reading your stuff in future and I'll be keeping an eye out. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, though I don't find myself much of a poet. I wanted to get into the genre of fantasy adventure, but I have to train myself more in imagery and character development, thanks for giving this a classification, though!
Hi there! It's thecolorofthesky with a review. I'm surprised no one else has reviewed this amazing work yet. I love everything about this piece. It's exceptionally unique and well thought out. The entire concept and execution of it is stunning. The only few suggestions I have would be to clarify the lines "and when I know my presence in this world and the one I now call "home" as one of influence and potential and not one of undeniable insignificance...I'm not considered a person?". I got a little confused by the last part. I also believe that earlier in that line, 'stay' should be 'stayed'. The punctuation and flow are very neat. You address many aspects of death and coping in such a fresh and touching way. I would like to say that this is an exceptionally impressive work. This is one of my favorite pieces I've read. Thank you! I would love to read more from you!
Thanks! It was just something small I came up with off of the top of my head while discussing MacBeth's insanity following his crimes. Sometimes I try, but other times I Tryhard. This is a Tryhard.