Someone older and wiser--

and deader, so I'm not envious--

than me once said

the words "I am" are potent words.

And that

you should be careful of

claiming anything

lest

it claim you instead.

Bearing that in mind

I AM

A dog person,

A raging liberal,

A satirist,

An unabashed lesbian,

A victim of the public school system,

And most fucking importantly

An individual.