Name Poem by Maria Schmitt

What would result
if your name meant nothing
some letters
some accented syllables
a blurb
is all that it is.
An identity? I think not.
So many share it with you
that originality,
personality,
are lost in the lines and curves.
An “m” here, an “e” there,
mix it up and you’re no longer
you.
You’re him
or him
or that other one.
Rip it off your chest,
“Hello, my name is ____.”
It’s the blank that concerns me.
You are more than a self-adhesive advertisement.
You’re goofy
and brilliant
and a mystery to be discovered.
The letters taint you,
can’t contain you.
You burst beyond their form,
I can’t stop you.
You’re a strut
and a smile
and your name means nothing.
Escape it.