I do music too btw

spoken word lyrics:

names are a ridiculous concept
that little line in the middle of your birth certificate
the top of every school assignment you ever do
and the bottom of every legal document
it’s your most defining feature
it’s supposed to be what makes you “unique”
yet there are approximately 8 billion people on this planet
I’ve met and known at least 1000
and about 10 of those people were “Alex”
10 more were “Lily”
and at least 30 were “Sam”
I'm looking at you

last names are even more ridiculous
at least first names are more fluid
many allow for nicknames, tied to their first name or not
or in unique cases new names altogether, separate from law
but legal names are chains
solid and tied to an individual until marriage or death
for something so personal, it seems to be fixed

personally, I’d prefer if instead of names
I signed things with a recognizable sketch
a personal identification that would prove my presence
without having to bind it to a word
call me any name without malice
but my art should be your first impression

a word should not be my legacy
an easy assumption should not last when I’m gone
do not put my parents decision on my grave
make my grave a spectacle, representative of myself
put my favorite flowers along the dirt
wash my portfolio over my tomb
pastel colors should line the rocks
pinks and purple and blues should splash the scene
and my doodle can be the only ledger in sight
that would be satisfactory
much moreso than the than the “here lies”
present on millions of stones already

I am more than letters on a certificate
or pencil lead on a school assignment
or ink that binds a legal agreement
I am more complex than that
I have more to offer than that
there’s more on my portfolio than that