If I express myself,
I may provoke disapproval

If I affirm myself,
I may provoke resentment

If I fail
I may provoke judgment

If I disagree
I may provoke a conflict

If I agree
I may be called submissive

If I cry
I may expose my weakness

If I share my sorrows
I may be taken advantage of

If I talk a lot
I may be seen as arrogant

If I do not talk
I may be seen as aloof

If I take the stage
I may be called a show-off

If I remain in the background
I may be called meek

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t
Herein lies the paradox

What can I do to give life some steam?
I realize it had to do with my self-esteem

So where do I begin to build my esteem?
And give my life the much-needed steam

“I have a right to exist”
It’s a statement you can agree with

I failed to realize this and often struggle
For me life was always a scary jungle

It’s not the money, the social-class, education and geography
It’s the quality of my relationships that affected my self-esteem

It starts early in life
Either you gather or lose steam

The subtle fear within
Was this poem’s theme

By Sree