What am I or am I not? Poem, by Si Bjerke, at My poetic side

I am nothing

I am alive, but dead

I am poor, but rich

Dead, alive, rich, poor

I am endless of course.

Maybe I have reached my end

Maybe I have already stopped

Stop, go, go, stop

I am stopping, I am going

I am everything, I am nothing

What am I or am I not?

I am Britain, I am France, I am Mexico

I'm Canada, I am Egypt, I am China

Yet I live in one place

One house, one body, one mind

The bells ring out and they announce

They tell me who I am, but I am not

But what do I want

What am I or am I not?

I am the cards that tell the truth

I am the cancer in your lungs

I am Jesus, I am Lucifer

And yes I contradict of course

Jeanie Tew I call upon you, What do I do, what do I do?

She says nothing, I do nothing

Nothing will always be the answer

A cold blank nothing

And then death, a sweet warm death

And it is coming sooner than you now

But what am I or am I not?

Comments +

sorenbarrett March 27th, 2026 09:42
This poem voices confusion as to who one is. It gives many possibilities and leaves the reader guessing. Nicely done
Friendship March 27th, 2026 10:00
A powerful poem. Your poem grapples with existential themes, exploring identity, duality, and the human condition. It confronts the paradoxes of life, such as being alive yet feeling dead, and the contrast between wealth and poverty. The repeated questioning of "What am I or am I not?" underscores an intense search for self-identity and meaning amidst contradictions.
leiisl_st March 27th, 2026 10:49
Only a certain kind of writing can convey the pain you see in movies, the voice you hear in song. and the full picture of a painting that must've taken hours, in words. And that's what this is. words that make you feel, hear, and see something so much bigger then yourself.
- Siah BjerkeMarch 27th, 2026 11:22
  Thank you very much.

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What am I or am I not?