Not as a black sheep
in its flock of white,
or a purple-hearted soldier
remembering a fight.
Not as a single rose,
admired and denied,
or one bestowed with talent,
but also with pride.
But as a silent master
of soul and of word,
a faceless figure
conquering the world.
Talent unheard,
never deterred:
I so don’t want to be a tree.
(2015)