Because I AM a Writer by Den'ja Pommarane

I am a writer.

It has taken me a long time to believe it, but it is the truth. Even now, typing it, saying it in my mind, and out loud to my students, I still get the same phantom feelings of being an impostor. But that’s alright; I work through it.

It wasn’t that long ago I decided to call myself a writer. Of course, I wrote all the time. Emails, letters to parents, poems, short stories, graduation speeches, essays with my students- attempting to model the ideal; you name it, I wrote it. The problem I had saying "I am a writer" resided in the lack of publications bearing my name.

But I AM A WRITER! 
 
I felt the anger boil in me when my lines and words were incomplete or when I wrote in circles regarding thoughts I have, futures unknown, and the memories of pasts I’ve lived. I’ve been ill-tempered reviewing page after page of my text, looking for those nuggets of semantical gold; those gleaming diamond-lights of burning truth revealing human conditions. I’m eternally struggling to make my grey matter significant. Reflecting my life, my stance, my ground, my world, my universe into words to share.

I felt joy complimenting a colleague with a note when the words flowed with truth. I’ve had tears burn on my cheek, presenting a poem and photograph to my dad. Empathy and compassion graced my pen consoling a friend’s lost friend. Drafts have gone from good to great and great to fair all in a matter of minutes. I’ve laughed. I’ve raged. I’ve hurt. I’ve grinned from ear to ear. I’ve experienced all this in writing.

Because I AM a writer. 



Den’ja Pommarane (Pomm) has been an ELA teacher at Laramie High School in Laramie, Wyoming for 14 years. He is a lifelong seeker. When Pomm is not playing with his children, cooking for his wife, or working on the yard, folks can find him fishing the high plains lakes in the shadows of the Snowy Range.  You can follow Pomm on Twitter at @DenPommarane