You Do Not Know Me, No You Don't Poem by Raj Arumugam

You do not know me, no you don't
No, you don't know me;
no, we have not met before

Move on, please…
I am not who you think I am, or I was…
No, I don't mean that philosophically
(as one can't be the same as an hour before;
or the river one bathes in today is not the same
you swam in yesterday)
but I mean it literally

I'm not the man you mistake me for…
and I'm not amused
or filled with wonder
there may be someone I resemble
("uncanny" is your word)

Never heard of the name;
yes, it may be, I remind you of him
but that's between you and him
I have nothing to do with your obsessions or your past
How can I, when I have nothing to do with mine?
There is no such thing as the past, so move on
and spare me your questions and attempts at familiarity
I am not him;
leave me to my shadows
One has a right to one's shadows