The circle of uniqueness

As a young girl I remember myself to be

Different from most people around me

I understood things in my own way

I said things that most people did not say

I was creative, and my imagination ran wild

I’d like to think of myself as a unique child..

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Through the tumultuous years of adolescence

I struggled to gain acceptance

From my peers, tried hard to fit in

I just wanted to shed my own skin

And look exactly like all my friends

I blindly followed all fashion trends

When I stood out even in a positive way

I did not care about it, back in the day

As a young adult I still did what was expected for me

I was an average girl, with no distinctive quality

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Now solidly middle aged, with greying hair

I am discovering that I no longer care

About fitting in with any group, in fact I

Want to claim my own piece of the sky

I want to dance only to the tune in my head

On unfamiliar territory I want to tread

My hibernating creativity I am trying to revive

I am rekindling interests that make me feel more alive

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As I cruise towards old age my burning desire

Is to be as authentic as I can be, and acquire

Unshakeable confidence in being unique

The chutzpah of my younger self I seek…