Define me as a graceful jazz dancer
An accomplished seventh chair clarinetist
A wannabe professional of weather
Or even a compulsive maker of checklists

Define me as a literature addict
A graceful fish, minus the flippers
An expert with sticky rice and chopsticks
Or the one person on Earth who hates slippers

Define me as a dog's best friend
A southpaw avoiding the smudgy ink
A collector of hand sanitizers of every scent
Or one who could never quite spell zink

But when my name tag is covered by another label
It doesn't ever seem to capture my true self
The picture of me is always torn on the table
Until I put everyone else's opinion away on a shelf

I am a swimmer; I slice through the frigid, crystal water
I am a dancer; I leap in well-worn, charcoal jazz shoes
I am a marcher; I march in a fitted, sturdy blue jacket
I am who I am; I am defined