So they say...

So they say...do I believe or do I defy?

 

“You are not a perfect home maker”

Why was it my JOB?

“You are not a doting Mom “

But my daughter wouldn’t exchange me for another

“You are not a worthy child”

But my parents would have me again

If they were to relive parenthood

So I am complacent

I am happy

I can ignore the scathing accusations

 

Then what is it that nags me?

 

“You are not a great friend”

But I am cherished

“You are neither efficient nor effective”

But there is a void when I leave.

“You don’t fit”

I don’t have to.

“What have you achieved?”

I don’t have to quantify

“You are not diplomatic”

Why should I be?

“You are not sought after”

Then why do people come?

“You are not beautiful”

Are you sure?

 

Then why this emptiness?

Reviews

[Floating on the feather..]

I must say that i like such random musing...Its good.
These questions bog you down at times but then i appreciate the way you defy them...
I'm sure we all here do ponder over these questions which might be vague and irrelevant for others...and most of the times we are demoralized... Perhaps we are important or may be we are not... I dont know the answer !!

Good musing (wink)
Shinjini

A wonderful way to regain self esteem for those who get accused. It is too easy for all of us to be immediately put down by such words. Yet, we realize that we fill the gap perfectly as we should. It gives us value and purpose to everything.

Good choice of words, great form, good rhythm.

A very good piece

[Rain]

Wow..
What a great insighful conversation. The last line almost like a " Checkmate." Very original. Rain..

[[untitled]]

Sibling rivalry, pointing the finger and insults that drag you to your knees and stay with you forever. Raj this is a very true piece of writing. I believe this goes on in most families. No wonder we are in a mess, low self-esteem begins at home and complacency is a huge problem, we are all guilty of burying our heads in the sand...Ostrichitis!!!!...Loved it, Kudos.
Cheers,
Helen :-)

[Amanda]

you have touched on most of the questions i have had in my life...and what is interesting is that we have a lot of the same answers.

i try to deal wtih the emptiness, the shame and a whole other myriad of questions nad answers as best as i can. i have the help of my daughters and my best friend to get through the more harrassing ones.

we may never know the true answers to what we seek, but it's nice to know that with the help from those you love, you can at least make the ones we do have bareable.

Amanda

[Michael W. Farrelly]

I love the line about quantifying your achievments. Strange how others place standards on us, not knowing they could never live up to ours, and not knowing that the standars we hold for ourselves are a lot higher than any they could apply to us. Nice meditation here.

[Going...going...gone!]

Queries, anticipated, unsaid or expected are juxtaposed here with answers that come straight from the heart.

Another thing that caught my eye was this underlined confrontation between self-doubt and self-confidence!

Beautifully expressed!!!

[Blackbirdsong]

I really love the way you highlight the other voices with your own. The structure really conveys that and I also love that those voices could either be someone else speaking that way to you or your own inner voices battling back and forth. This was a very thoughtful and truthful read since I think many of us have those same voices - either from others or ourselves - that we have to either choose to listen to or ignore.

[Tania Leigh]

I like the confidence woven through this poem, and although doubt tries to creep its way in, the speaker's retorts are solid and valid. Good write! :-)

[Forest Green]

Questions that seem independent of time, talent, dedication and accomplishment. They are all there in your poem.

Good work.

Forest

[None]

People can let us down and these thoughts come down hard on the vulnerable. Sometimes they want to take the attention of themselves and their shortcomings and end up saying hurtful thing; they never walk away a winner. I think that is what draws many to writing and standing alone at times. We become refined in a way from it all. We may not fit in but look what we would be fitting in with! Your poem points out the nature of most and is written excellently. I like the back and forth conversation and answers. Your answer to "You are not beautiful" is perfect! I'm saving this in my favorites.