A List-Like Poem

“You’re so Vain,”

You think you say,

meaning that I am selfish,

Obsessed with me and mine and

Forgetful of you and theirs.

Too proud, with a chin

that only graces the peaks

of mountains and the tips

of your shaved almost-bald hair.

But what you really say is,

You’re so Vain, because

you hate that I’m not conformed -

My mind entirely yoked to yours.

Vane, you call me

Like a weather vane -

I change with my heart’s wind

And when I turn, you turn,

Trying to keep up with me, stop me,

But you can’t feel the pull of the air like me,

It’s stirring whispers, this way, dreamer.

Vane:  changeable, fickle,

A person with no set pattern.

Too easily I stray from your plans

Too easily I become new -

Rake off an old skin and breathe fresh life.

I am your vein - the blood that pumps

From your heart

To the tips of your fingers

And all the way back.

You rise and run, you laugh because

of Me - inspiration, without me you crumple,

Like a leaf, and I am your vein,

I bring you your nutrients, I hold you together

I unite your pieces and bring you your color.

I am the vein of gold that runs through deep rock,

The rich treasure that you dig towards,

Slam and hack at and fend off others

to keep the wealth all your own.

From old English fana, in german fahne
both meaning flag.

I am the signal of you,

Your stars and stripes,

your identity, your dreams, held up in pride -

You wait for me to raise white,

I see you raise jolly roger.

This is a vain war.

Ineffectual; futile;

From the latin, vanus means empty.

You are vain you say to me

Because without me,

Life is vanus.

You are vain,

Because without me,

Everything feels worthless.

You are vain,

Because I am not your version of myself.

But you should know it is irreverent

To take God’s name in vain-

Creator created me his creation - free, His,

Not yours. What love from me,

What hollowness from you,

to say I am your heartbeat,

 and then try to make me beat a different song.