There Was a Time

There was a time
That their insistence would push me
Into actions I don’t align with
And I would feel powerless

There was a time
That his delay would throw me
Into a swirl of pity and doubt
And I would feel unlovable

There was a time
That I would spitefully criticize me
Until I hated my very being
And I would feel unworthy

There was a time
That the world removed from me
The roles I so identified with
And I felt completely lost

Empty

But with that emptiness
Came a chance to fill my vessel
With a new pulse of living story
And I felt utterly alive

Now, they can not push me out of alignment
Now, he does not throw me into doubt
Now, I will not speak hate into my heart
Now, the world only reminds me who I am

I conjured my power.
I crystallized my love.
I claimed my worth.
And I was found.

-Cynthia Kim-Eumie Shockley