It's hard to take up the space
                                                 I know I take up
I was raised to make myself smaller
                                                  invisible
                                                  perfect
I know instinctively how to please anyone
I haven't a clue who I am
                            what I want
                            how I feel
                            what I think
                            what I want to say
                            how to trust myself
I was raised to take those from others
So that's how I treat myself now
Generous, kind, loving, forgiving, bolstering,
Empathetic, understanding,
all to everyone else
To me?
Strict, harsh, degrading, nasty, unkind, illogical
I can never be good enough for myself
I do not exist without others
YES I DO