I want to be a porcupine, keep everyone away,
It’ll give me an excuse when they don’t want to stay.
To forget all of my past mistakes, I’d like to be a fish,
But I’d forget the good times too, so I'm careful for what I wish.
I could be a mouse and then, no one would notice me,
After a while being ignored gets to be lonely.
I want to be a turtle, with a hard outer shell,
I won’t get hurt and when I’m sad, I can hide away so well.
I could be an elephant, push everyone around,
But no one likes a bully who puts other people down.
A tall giraffe can glower down at others from above,
But being at the top can be lonely without love.
As a lion I’d have courage, be admired and revered,
But what some see as respect, would be a mask for fear.
No matter who or what you are, life is often tough,
So I’ll be content with who I am and hope that it’s enough.
Copyright © 2022 Brandon Ellrich
Originally published on Medium
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If you liked this poem, you may want to check out my article Grow Your Nose.
Brandon Ellrich, Writer/Author/Poet 
That is the secret to a contented heart. Be happy with who you are.
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Yes, for some people it is a difficult place to get to. We all seem to want what we don’t have. Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂
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Very true. It’s a pleasure.
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I think you should turn this into a children’s book. It’s gorgeous.
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Aww… thank you so much! I really hadn’t even thought of doing that.
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You said it all. It is something that relates. Loved the poem, Brandon.
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Thank you, Shobana. I think we all try to be many different things at one time or another.
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Yes, so true. thank you, Brandon.
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