What is your passion?

The following poem comes from a blog post I wrote before, but re-arranged as a poem. I originally completed this as an assignment for a poetry class I was taking and thought I would share here because it's pretty cool to see how poetry can change the way we read and experience the written / spoken word.

Do you relate with this topic of figuring out your passion? Do you know what it feels like to want to accomplish something so bad for the sake of your parents more than yourself? How do we free ourselves and each other from a lifetime of disappointment?

What is your passion?

The question I 
Dreaded most.

My dad spent his entire 
career 
at one firm. 
He made partner 
in his 40s and recently
retired when he turned 60. 

I love my dad 
so much. We are
very close and have always 
had a great relationship 
ever since
I was a kid. 

My dad never really pushed me 
to study hard or 
get good grades. 
He never told to me 
to be 
a doctor or 
a lawyer. 
In fact, he told me not to be a lawyer
since all lawyers were liars. 

He did always encourage me 
to read, to 
be considerate of others, and to 
dream big. 
He has also 
continuously 
asked me: what 
are you passionate about? 

What is your 
passion?

Because my dad 
has been the one 
asking me 
all along 
What is my 
one 
big 
passion, 
I have struggled 
so much 
with this question. 

Perhaps 
if anyone else had posed it, 
I would have ignored it or 
felt it unworthy 
of my time 
and attention. 

Perhaps 
if my dad had figured out 
his passion, 
I wouldn’t feel so 
compelled to 
find mine. 

I wish I could answer 
my dad’s question, if not 
for my sake, 
for his. 

To this day, I still 
don’t know what 
I’m truly passionate
about. 

The things that bring 
me joy 
have nothing to do 
with work,
my career, or
earning money. 

I am like most people. 
I enjoy
spending time with people I love, 
eating good food, 
traveling and trying new things, and 
watching Netflix. 

I no longer dream 
of living in a NYC penthouse, wrapped 
in my success. 

I dream of a future 
where I don’t 
have to work, where 
I am not 
defined 
by my job or 
how I make money, and
I sure as hell 
don’t ever 
want to live in NYC 
Again.