
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