More of Me

I’m learning to see
all that hides in the shadows

I’m learning to listen
when confronted with not knowing

I’m learning to sense
where and when to engage my energy

I’m learning to discern
what’s mine to own and what I can discard

I’m learning to recognize
my own power and voice; my own truth and choice

I’m learning to be
unabashedly more of me

Notes from the interview that inspired this poem:

This woman was currently a medical school student. She was one of only two Black students in her class. She had first worked in the corporate world before deciding to pursue medical school at age twenty-five. Recently, she’d finished an essay for a service-learning scholarship. “Writing this essay has really helped me uncover insights and access clarity within myself,” she said. “I’ve realized how internalized some limiting beliefs have become, especially as a minority. My classmates just assumed that since I was there and Black, I must have received help or scholarship funding, but that wasn’t the case. I realize now that I felt like an imposter and wasn’t talking with many classmates, even though I learned how to speak up in a corporate setting.” She went on to share how this motivated her to step into leadership roles to create networking opportunities for underrepresented women to meet and receive support from other women. “I would love for this poem to convey the peace available within clarity,” she said.

Interviewee: Anonymous
Listener Poet: Jenny Hegland