Deja Vu at Paper Poetry

Lost and Found

A free verse poem about self with help from Virginia Woolf

‘For unless I am myself, I am nobody’ ~ Virginia Woolf ~

I lost myself along the way the push and pull of life’s refrain be everything to everyone all at once and one for all you’re here to serve, to do some good reward is giving — give-give, give more missed the warning, was there one? don’t be a martyr, you’ll come undone the servant’s torch will burn you out light be gone, beware the dark sure enough, it came to pass I felt empty, null and dead inside who am I, I do not know tell me please, I beg to hear my identity’s gone, nought’s left of me I gave and gave as l thought I should I gave so much, I gave my self…

Whoa! Stop right there, rewind the tape this is wrong, it can’t go on I am me, I know I am my soul is not for sale nor hire I shan’t gift it to everyone I will give and also take a healthy balance is what’s at stake I’ll plant my flag, I’ll fly it here this is where I need to be a place that’s mine and mine alone no random x can reassign I am the flag, I’ll hold my ground I’ll stay right here, myself I’ve found

© Carolyn Hastings 2022

I’m not sure what Virginia Woolf would make of the poem I wrote in response to her quote, ‘For unless I am myself, I am nobody’; what I do know is when Indubala Kachhawa has prompted us with a quote to use in an epigraphic poem, some wondrous words have emerged from the pens and keyboards of Paper Poetry’s poets.

Indubala’s epigraphic prompts were part of Paper Poetry’s first series of weekly prompts with the Virginia Woolf quote being the Week 13 prompt.

Paper Poetry is now offering the whole series of 14 prompts in a special rerun event, Déjà vu at Paper Poetry. Everyone is welcome to take part. Please find the details here –

I’m hoping to entice some fellow poets to join in –

⚜️ Victor Sarkin — because, guess what, Victor?, this is another 30-line poem! 😅

⚜️ Katie Michaelson — because she tells us she doesn’t have time to write stories these days, but I’m hoping she has time to write a poem 🙏

⚜️ Suma Narayan — because she always has something interesting to say 😊

⚜️ Jenine Bsharah Baines — because she said she ‘wanted to tackle the wings prompt’ — no pressure, Jenine, just a friendly reminder 😉

⚜️ Blenden Bloggar — because he’s new to Paper Poetry and I’m looking forward to reading more of his poetry 😃

Thank you all for reading. 🙏 💕

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