I am (a poem)

I am a hero to some
a villain to others.
A friend and an enemy,
all in one breath.

I am half of what you see
and none of what you believe.
An illusion of truth
with a lie at my core.

I am whatever you want me to be;
the deliberate act of a survivor.
I both love and fear you.
Hope comforting the ache within.

I am a boastful failure,
surrounded yet alone.
I talk to fill the emptiness,
cry to fill the void.

I am an open book
with one chapter removed.
A novel idea without an ending,
a heroic tale set adrift.

I am, at my core, a contradiction,
two people at war within.
I search for a semblance of peace,
a quest both grand and futile.

I am simple yet complicated,
foolish and wise.
I am just another human;
but one of a kind.

I am.

~ elr