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girl looking into camera, I Am, 2020 writing contest finalist
2020 Writing Contest Finalist,  Identity,  Poetry,  Writing

I Am

By Jamea Johnson, 16

I am art.

I am light and dark.

I am joyful and moody. 

I have no boundaries. I am free to explore the wilderness of my emotions and intellect. My body has curves, straight lines, and sharp edges. 

I have travelled across the scorching Sahara of my sound and sailed through my turbulent headspace to appreciate this work of art; this work in progress. The day I put this paintbrush down, I shall draw my last breath.

Until then, I’ll stroke and blot and splatter and sing and scream and whisper and proclaim, until the canvas is covered in the colors of me:

Yellow for my smile, red for my rage; purple for my attitude, black for my pain. Blue for my rain, and orange and pink, they’re my hurricane. They represent my style, my heritage, and my name.

I am art. 

I am truth.

I am love in flesh.


I wanted to write about myself, how I see myself, and how I think others should see themselves. I wrote about the person I want to be in the future. I also touched on the difficulty of accepting myself and my appearance, but in the end, the journey is worth it.

Instagram: @lmaojamea

Podcast: anchor.fm/jamea

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBRikK82im7hi8gjy6QFBUQ

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