Who Am I?

who am I?
am I what others see
or - am I what they don't see?
...am I just something else?
am I a child running away from a parent?
am I that parent?
why are we chasing?
...I am the place we're re running to?

am I a striking teacher?
out for more pay
...is this us?
are we marching across a city
or maybe running through a wood
shrouded by a fog
...am I the darkness?
am I the galloping horses?
flared nostrils 
breathing heavily 
running! - running! - running!
...I am the horses heavy breath!

are we something at dusk?
something at the end of the day
so we're not able to give what is being asked of us 
...am I a church on fire?
am I an actor playing a forensic scientist 
not a scientist at all
not able to give what is being asked of me
just an actor?
...I am the script!

am I a skier?
can I ski?
maybe I'm the snow
are we a student marking our own homework?
or are we the curl of smoke rising from a cigarette 
abandoned in an ashtray
do we fill the room like smoke?
...I am the match!

what am I to say?
maybe I can't speak to anyone?
'No comment!"
...am I the silence?
do i listen?
do I cry?
perhaps I'm a suspicious character caught on CCTV at the shopping centre
...am not the shops?
I am the footage!

what am I?
maybe I'm the soldiers drinking in a pub
...am I the glass?
conceivably - I'm the beer!
could I be an old woman 
in an old people's home
knitting old knitting 
doing old crosswords?
...am I old? 
is that what I am?

who am I?

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