I throw my voice down a wishing well.
it ricochets against the brick,
then crumbles to the ground.

repeat after me.
you are worthy.

my affirmations stumble out of my mouth,
and I wait for my voice to return to me.
my eardrums wait for the words
to knock some sense into them.
silence plays an elegy.

repeat after me.
you are loved.

you can lead your head to sunlight,
but you can't make it think.