It’s interesting to look back at older poems. After a decade publishing poetry, my life has changed and so has the content of my poems. But at the same time, there is a feeling and theme in them that has remained, that of strength, empowerment, and faith.
This poem, “I’m Not That Girl,” was written a very long time ago, decades ago, about the time when I was first starting to realize my independence. It was published in my first book poetry, The Difference Now and also my New and Selected Poems.
It’s like this, you used to make mistakes and as years go on you learn and grow and then you bump into someone from your past who can only see you the way you were. What would you say to them? I’d say something like this:
