Me in 23
By SH aka Sincere Echoes
Suppressed echoes
encased in sincere truths,
I lay low like fog
and touch many like raindrops
embodied by force…
I am significant
Tagged with identity
77 Comments
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
Dear Sincere Echoes, this poem is short yet deep. I love the metaphor to fog. You are significant! I love this poem.
I liked how your poem was short and sweet. I did not understand it to much, but maybe sometimes we write poetry not for other people to understand but for us to express ourselves and have our own fulfillment.
I love the lines “I lay low like fog and touch many like raindrops…” For me, this poem had a density that gave that last line so much weight and power. Thank you for sharing your work!
Dear SH,
Thank you for sharing this poem. I really like the idea of “laying low” but still having power. There’s a lot of tension in this poem, between suppressed echoes and their sincere truths and fog kept down but still dispersing itself widely. These contradictions make your poem so powerful and embody perfectly the way that things suggested, suppressed, or not said explicitly can be even more impactful and affecting than what is said. I hope you keep writing and sharing your poems!
Best,
JM
I really love your simile use, and the strong imagery of nature that you pull into your work. I think it gives a powerful yet calming setting for your message, and I really like the ending line stating “I am significant.” It really reinforces that powerful vibe that the entirety of your work gives off.
So profound and relatable. Love how raindrops inside a fog is incorporated to correlate with the navigation of life in a youthful age and finding the strength to find inner power in the end.
I was wondering what you mean by your poem and if it is to be interpreted by people or for your own expression. I would like to see if you can further go with the poem so we can really see what you are feeling internally.
Dear SH,
Thank you for sharing this poem. Your use of imagery is incredible, and the ending line of “I am significant” is so powerful. Please continue to keep writing, and I hope you are doing well.
-Joe
Sincere Echos,
I loved the opening lines: “Suppressed echoes // encased in sincere truths”. That was such a strong start to the poem, and really grabbed my attention right away. The way it flows and slips off the tongue makes it all the more powerful. I really liked how you ended it with “I am significant”. I like how you took agency of, and really owned the fact that yes, you matter and you are significant! Very nicely done, here, I really enjoyed reading this piece.
Best,
Samantha
It was a real joy to read this poem. Sometimes in life we can get swept up in this constant state of trying to be the best we can be. To achieve great heights and if we don’t do that, our lives are insignificant. I believe that everyone is significant. Not one person can go through this world and not affect someone else. I loved the line “touch many like raindrops”. It emphasized how one person can impact so many others. Great poem!
I like the sweet and short nature of this poem as well as the last line! Nice job!
Hi Sincere Echos! This was a beautiful poem, I especially love the last line, “I am significant.” It really resonated with me because it is so meaningful and powerful. I appreciate you sharing this. Best, Catherine
Hi SH/Sincere Echos,
Thank you so much for sharing! I really enjoyed reading this poem! The use of imagery with the echos, fog, and raindrops really brings this poem to light.
Keep writing! 🙂
– EOS
What a brief yet descriptive use of words!
I love the duality of this poem between the first 5 lines and the final thought. SH speaks of being suppressed and silenced by the environment they are trapped in. Prison is a place which strips them of their individuality and forces them to restrain themselves or face further consequences. SH seems to be fully aware of this dynamic but is remaining headstrong in their refusal to lose themselves in this place. The final line: I am significant is about as strong of a proclamation that can be made that they will not forget who they are or that their life still has immense value even if they are trapped in a system that wants them to think otherwise.
Sincere Echoes – Thank you so much for your poetry! I love the imagery you used. You conveyed so much in such a short amount of time, and I think you are really talented for the way you paint a picture with your words. You are significant! – Ashlen
This is so powerful. YOU ARE significant and have so much to offer the world. Thank you for being you and sharing your art.
I really enjoyed this poem! It was short and deep. The way you compared yourself to different things that were dark and cold made it an even more amazing poem. It is a very powerful poem. Keep up the good work and never stop writing!
I really enjoyed the imagery of the fog moving close to the ground and the rain falling. I liked how the echos were described as encased it almost felt like I could hear the echo in a cave.
I love this imagery, and the powerfulness of being more behind the scene and everywhere but still so present and powerful. With enough empowerment and embodied force, the impact of thousands of raindrops can be super significant. I like how I feel like even if you are not at the forefront and are suppressed in the background, if you are there and inn quantity, there’s so much power.
I liked the message of identity between this poem, and the expressions used! This was really well written thank you for sharing!
SH,
I love this poem! You do such a great job painting a picture in my mind—I love the imagery, specifically how you touch many like raindrops. It’s such a small, but meaningful exchange. However, my favorite part is definitely the meaning; the agency that you give yourself is so powerful. You are significant!
-Cameron
The word choice and diction in this poem is great, it really makes you feel something. I feel like I am walking in your shoes from the words you chose and your descriptions. I loved how even though most of this poem had a more negative feel to it and was dark, you ended with I am significant. No matter what someone is facing or how small someone may try to make you feel, your message of I am significant is so important because nothing can take that away from you. What a person goes through or what others say about them does not make them any less of a person, you are still significant.
I really enjoyed this poem! I like how you discuss the theme of personal significance. Whether we know it or not, we all impact the people we interact with. Even if we tend to sit in the shadows or not speak up, we are all significant in our own ways.
SH,
The amount of emotion I could feel through these few words is so impactful. You are so significant, and your life means the world to many. I feel that the words you write relate to the confinement you feel day to day, and it aches my heart. You’re poetry is beautifully written and you need to continue writing. Thank you for sharing.
Julia
Hello there, your poem, short but sweet, struck a cord with me. This quote comes to mind, “Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech” – Pultarch. Sometimes there is more power in being silent like in your poem you describe how although you may be quiet, you still have the ability to make a change and speak your truth. I enjoyed reading and I am excited to see more from you!
SH aka Sincere Echoes,
My name is Maria Griffin, and I am a second-year student at Wayne State University in Detroit. This semester, I am taking a class whose goal is to engage with the community, beyond the university and corporations.
Your poem about identity titled, Me in 23, is very powerful. It is short in length but left me with great wonder. The few words have such great meaning and resonance. The description of someone who likes to “lay low like fog,” and sort of watch from a distance hit close to home because I am like that. I love how you ended with “I am significant.” It gives encouragement to people like me who are wallflowers, because we are significant, and we touch more lives than we think. Your poem is both powerful and encouraging to your audience.
Overall, great job! Keep up the good work. I know you will continue to encourage your audience with great work.
Hi SH, Thank you for sharing your words. I encourage you to keep writing because this short but powerful poem is great! It leaves lots of wonder and makes you think. You have a good gift of writing. Keep it up!
Hey Sincere Echos!
I really enjoyed this poem! I love how to relate to both rain and fog, and how you describe yourself as having properties of both, even though they are 2 very different forms of existence. I look forward to reading more of your work!
Hey Sincere Echoes!
I really enjoyed this poem. I love the comparison of yourself to both raindrops and fog, as I feel like those are tow very different forms of being, and you apply those characteristics to yourself, which gives a deeper look into who you are. I look forward to more of your work!
Hey Sincere Echoes!
I really enjoyed reading this poem. I love how you incorporate both rain and fog, because it registers as a sort of contrast between liquid and vapor, and how you embody the characteristics of both. I feel like it adds a depth to your poem regarding how you try to describe yourself. I look forward to more of your work!
I absolutely adored your poem. I was really moved by it, and actually related to it. Keep writing!:)
I love how short, yet powerful this poem is! I really liked your use of imagery as well. I could just see what you were writing as I was reading it. The last line really brought it all together and ended it perfectly. Thank you for writing this!
Your poem uses a lot of repeating sounds in order to sound like a quiet, hush whisper at the beginning and towards the end. I’m wondering if you meant for this. It gives off the impression that the significance is supposed to be a secret, but perhaps you meant for it to be a sudden roar?
The quiet is also significant, sounding as if the speaker is trying to convince themselves that they are important.
SH,
I really enjoyed your poem! It was short and sweet yet extremely powerful. Like everyone else, I really enjoyed your fog metaphor and the idea that even if you lay low, you are still powerful! It is truly inspiring.
Thank you for sharing! Great work!
SH,
I want to start by saying thank you for sharing your poem! I thought it was really great and inspiring! Like everyone else, I loved your metaphor and description in this short and powerful poem. Moreover, I loved that you talk about laying low and still being powerful because it is so true!
Thank you again, great job.
This poem is so good! i love your metaphors and personifications. its short and sweet and your writing is amazing.
Such an amazing poem. I love the part about raindrops. I also love how this poem is short but so powerful. Great work!
SH,
I love reading your work so much! The change of the last line compared to the rest of the poem is wonderful. I can tell you are incredibly talented.
Dear SH,
This poem is very deep, and the ready can feel the underlying symbolism in the words. Great work.
SH,
Hi Im Edmon and im in a class that aims to engage with the community beyond the university and corporations. I really liked your poem because it can be interpreted in many different ways. It was also very brief but a very concise use of words. Sometimes people judge poems based on how long they are but this one is so deep and very brief in terms of words. Good job and good luck in the future!
Your poem is short, but powerful. In just six lines you were able to convey how you are able to have an impact on many, while laying low yourself. You don’t have to be the loudest or biggest in the room in order to do so. I really like how you used the imagery of raindrops to show how powerful one person can be. You are significant to many and I hope you continue to write on this platform.
I liked how relatable your poem is to people in all sorts of different situations. It’s very deep and your word choices are powerful.
Dear SH,
I appreciate your poem. As a person who is around the same age, I relate to your words. I hope that you keep up the beautiful work and keep on writing.
Dear SH,
I appreciate your poem. As a person who is around the same age, I relate to your words. I hope that you keep up the beautiful work and keep on writing.
Hi SH – this is such an emotional poem, and I thank you for sharing it with us. I am currently a college student in an English class called Writing and Community, where we interact with the community around us outside of the university setting. Although your poem is short, I can feel the emotion behind the words. There was a lot of imagery and symbolism throughout the poem, and it seems that it could be interpreted in multiple ways. I really liked the simile “touch many like raindrops,” as I feel like it is a comparison that provides a clear mental image. I really hope you continue to express yourself and your emotions through poetry. I wish you nothing but good fortune in the future!
Hi SH,
I love this, especially the acknowledgement that you are significant and can reach many. Everyone has a voice that should be heard, and I love that you seem to recognize that in this poem.
I am a student in a community service course at Wayne State in Detroit whose goal is to engage with the community beyond the university. When I discovered Free Minds I was immediately thrilled to see the connections build around your writings and heart, and what you have to offer is a powerful and beautiful gift to the community. It was a true privilege getting the opportunity to read what is on your heart and mind, your desires and passions, thoughts, and struggles. You have so much to say, so much wisdom to give, and such deep experiences and desires to share with the community that people from all walks of life, backgrounds, beliefs, and ages can deeply connect with and affiliate with. Keep engaging with the community and making your voice heard. You bring healing, hope, and renewal of mind to many who have the privilege to share in your poetry. This poem held so much power in its brevity and passion. You are significant. Because in the words of Nelson Mandela, “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” You make a profound impact on the community in ways you see and may not even see. Thank you for your work.
Excellent job SH! Your use of imagery really made this poem vivid. I found the last line to be so powerful and strong, and it is true. You ARE significant and your voice matters. Please continue to write and share poetry with us. Well done!
This poem embodies power to me. You are significant and will continue to be! I really enjoyed the words “I lay low like fog” – what an amazing and descriptive line! You did a fantastic job!
A very deeply crafted poem that has strong underlying symbolism throughout. Short but very powerful, thank you so much for sharing your piece of work!
SH, I admire how well you were able to convey such a powerful idea in just a few short lines. In some ways, the fact that it is so simple makes it easier for each reader to find a different personal meaning when reading it. I can tell you have your own story that is introduced through your words, and I like that I can reflect on how I can apply your words to my own significance as I am sure other readers have done, too. Thanks for sharing!
Your word choice for your poem is very distinct and powerful. It is a truly deep poem with even deeper meaning!
This poem was short but powerful! I love the dynamic of being like fog and raindrops, taking upon many manifestations.
A great poem with an excellent use of imagery. Keep up the good work!
SH, thank you for sharing this. I really liked the simplicity of the poem because it had lots of meaning as well. I loved the metaphor and symbolism you created. I liked the line “I lay low like fog” because it is meaningful and the reader can actually imagine that. I think the most special thing is that it is open for many interpretations allowing the reader to understand it and feel it in their own way. I hope to read more of your work.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem the way you wrote this poem it can be interpreted in many ways it is like there is a different meaning every time I go over it.
SH,
You are significant. Your words have changed me. The words I perceive derive from the pits of the heart where truth resonates and sets us free. Thank you.
Dear SH,
Your use of imagery has made this poem so powerful. Although short in length, each word and line of your poem is so thought-provoking, I could spend hours interpreting it and reflecting on it. I also love how you tied in the title “Me in 23” and used 23 words. Thank you so much for sharing a little bit of you in your work. Keep it up!
Best,
SS
This poem is simple but has much passion and imagery that the reader can relate to. We all can be hard on ourselves, but it’s good to self-reflect and remember the goodness in ourselves as well. Thank you for sharing, I hope to read more of your work.
It was great how you used a few lines to make such a powerful statement. I love the idea of ending it with “I am significant”. As you described things that may seem gentle and calm, but they make huge impacts on the world. I really loved the imagery of low fog, that was a great image that stuck in my head! Thanks for sharing, it was beautiful and I hope you keep writing!
Hello SH,
Your poem is short but powerful! You are significant and do not ever forget that! The part where you said “I lay low like fog” was really amazing. Great job on your poem!
Sincere Heart—this was such a raw and profound poem. I appreciate your writing and I think that the proclamation “I am significant” is so strong. Despite feeling you may lay low, you are strong and valid and your words and experiences matter.
I love the similes and imagery that you used! Great job!
SH,
this is a very short poem but also very impactful. My favorite line is, “I touch many like raindrops.” Even while “laying low” or not thinking we are doing very much, we touch the people in our lives through the random things we do.
Thanks for sharing your poem! I loved how abstract you were and the imagery made me feel a certain way.
A short yet deep poem it was very sincere, I felt like it was a very get to the point poem. But you worded it amazing. Keep up the good work.
Hello SH, your poem is fascinating. The words you use in this connect smoothly and are a real eye opener. I love how you acknowledge your importance, because I feel like in our time that’s a hard thing to do, and I’m not sure why. But the way you state it is so powerful. Wrapping up your poem with such a bold statement of affirmation, and truth was amazing. The comparisons used in your poem are great too. Like when you compared yourself to a frog, and how you layed low. I never thought about it until now, but a frog does really lay low, and live its own life in peace, it doesn’t really disturb anything. This poem gave me chills, and there’s empowerment written throughout your lines. This poem was great! Thank you so much for sharing it.
I wish you the best! – Aaliyah
SH,
Wow. What a powerful poem created by only a few words! I can feel the fog, wet around my ankles. It is subtle, but it’s presence is continuous and purposeful. Keep speaking so that one day your truth will echo unsuppressed.
This was a very interesting poem with few words, but they meant so much. I love when you said “lay low like fog, and touch many with raindrops” as you are telling the readers that you are almost everywhere, and everyone knows who you are, but almost like no one knows who you are like you have the power within the shadows or the unknown. This was a very good poem, thank you for sharing.
I thank you for sharing this poem. I truly enjoyed how you concluded by saying, “I am significant.” “Touch many like raindrops” is a great line. It highlighted the wide range of effects one person can have. Continue your wonderful work!
Your way with word is deep and enriching, within a stanza you manage to portray such a meaningful poem. Weather is a great choice in portraying emotions or anything really. Weather is an engrain occurrence that everyone can relate with which deepens your poem.
This was a very empowering poem with very few words. I like the last line “I am significant” because it shows confidence. It is good that you are acknowledging your identity because lacking that brings a lot of people down. Keep up the great attitude and writing, and it will get you places!
The lines that stood out to me the most from your poem were “I lay low like fog” and “I am significant.” Both of these lines stood out to me because of your use of comparison but also realizing that you are important and meaningful. I also like how short and sweet this poem was but also used language that kept the reader interested and hooked. Keep up the great work!
This poem is powerful. With such sort of poem, you expressed yourself with force. The imagery for me makes me picture someone that walks through life, feeling as though there just there. However, this is someone that impacts each person they run into in life. Maybe to them not significant but to the person they ran into something beautiful. I love the picture this gave me. Keep up the beautiful work!
Hello! Wow. This poem possesses so much depth and that is an area I will never understand. This is beautiful and the metaphor about fog and raindrops is beautiful. You are significant and you can do great things in this world. I hope this motivation never fades. I love this piece and I hope you continue to create more.
Hello! I really enjoyed reading your poem. Even though it was short and sweet, it was very deep. Even though sometimes we feel small, we are all significant and important.