NaPoWriMo: 3 April 2015

SHADOW BOXING

In the ring of self esteem we both lose:

beaten, battered,

badly bruised.

Bleeding from the beatings

we repeatedly gave,

we meekly accepted each abuse

we delivered on ourselves—

corrosive gifts with tattered bows

— taking them as Truth.

If the blows came from another

we would resist more

fight more

rage more

rise more,

but we know best

how to knock ourselves down

until the count reaches ten

and once again we count ourselves

out.

Please be my cut man

and I'll be yours—

always patching,
always healing

as we go round after round with ourselves.