I Am… Me!

Thu, 10/08/2015 - 12:53 -- webbb

MY NAME MEANS WATER. There is no exact definition; some say “flowing water,” others

“small stream”. The one thing that is constant is that it has something to do with water. That is my favorite part. It is strong enough to make pathways in stone and to bring forth life. It is beautiful. And it is spelled with an “e.”

      My name is my father’s attempt to give me freedom, freedom from preconceived notions and discrimination. I asked, “Daddy, why did you name me Brooke?” His reply was so that people could not pass judgement before meeting me. On an application, they would not know my race or even my gender (although, I myself could never see Brooke as a boy’s name). He was trying to free me from the prejudice people like me usually face. My name is an axe used to destroy chains.

     I am thankful for my name. My name that unchains me.

     Then again, that is the problem for some people. My name is too racially freeing. But what if I had been named Latisha or Katrina or Abcde? Would I be enough then? I can’t imagine them being satisfied with me. Then again, they can’t imagine me either, with my proper sentence structure and my familiarity with fried chicken.

      It just doesn’t add up: 1 syllable, 1 girl, 2 much. It gets tricky around the unafraid attitude and the love of fine arts. Do you add or subtract one for each?

      I shouldn’t have to be the X in the equation. I shouldn’t have to make sense to their calculators that were programmed with the wrong information. I am not a problem that needs to be solved and you are not a mathematician.

I Am… ME!

This poem is about: 
Me
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