Who You See is Who I Will Be ” 2026

my grandmother called me by her sons name

When she looked at me she saw a body so innocent a boy that could only be her son when I could never be. But I played the role for I was Denzel in that house with the way I played her son. I gave a lifeless character life. When my grandma would stare out into the distance I can only wonder what she sees in her hours of hypnosis. My grandma would stare at the sun for hours until I pulled her away.  She was only trying to burn the memories in her head that she sees one last time. She never could. My grandma was always cold with a blanket laid over her legs that were so swollen it would not take a doctor to know that she is dying. I hope not to live a long a life but the life that I do live I try my best to make it great. I have watched my grandparents sit there waiting for something to happen. My grandpa would break things he couldn’t possibly know how to fix when he was bored. But isn’t that so many of our relationships. Trying to fix something you can’t begin to understand and letting go to watch someone else build something better than you ever could with that person. I was the best actor my grandma could remember. The way I played my part as a son. Each time he was called upon a better man showed up. My uncle is not a good man at least I may never meet the good in the man to outweigh the bad, and that’s for a lot of folks in my life. But to my grandmother in her eyes he was the best son there ever was. There was no liquor on his breath anymore. There was no piss on his clothes that needed to be washed. No banging on the front door at 4 am. There was no screaming or pushing. You don’t get credit for the most useful things like the seventh man on the bench, there’s no prize. I made our team matter. The banner is in the arena you are banned from.

I did my best

I did what only a son could do for his mother

He owes me when I see him for what I have done. I’m that type of guy, I only do favors for people that I like and you were never anything closer to me than my blood.

But your blood belongs to me now

I own your character now for you gave it up to me when you took your last drink in a home willing to give you care

When I saw you on the floor before school I had to let my mom know grandma had let you in again…

Then she let me in.