Who We Are

Who we are begins at birth,
Our DNA a start,
But every soul upon the earth
From others stands apart.

Our personalities are there
From when we take a breath,
Remaining with us everywhere
'Til we succumb to death.

The quiet, shy, rambunctious, rude,
The introvert, the prankster,
The one who has an attitude,
The serious, the gangster...

Show early glimpses to the world
Of who they are inside
And as the years become unfurled,
Such truths they cannot hide.

Though nurture has its own effect,
Experience as well,
Not coddling or, worse, neglect,
Can break that magic spell.

Genetics and the dash of luck,
Or lack of it, we've got
Create the traits with which we're stuck,
Both liking them or not.