All The Things I'm Not Poem by Ibn Ali

I'm tired
This whole life spent fighting
My shield has blocked every blow
And my own blade untarnished
I'm not long for this world
No beauty enough to elicit kindness
Not smart enough to inspire
No charm enough to desire
I am nothing
I'm not righteous
I'm not quiet
I'm not pious
I'm always anxious
Always nervous
Never certain
Indecisive
The real me
The one in hiding
The one in darkness
That covets silence
My thoughts are concerts
Perform nightly
Every chorus
The crowd obliges
Encores and ovations
All the things I'm not
My failures define me
displace all the things I am
When weighed
My good is lighter