I work so hard,
Push myself to the brink,
Pain, pulsating through my lungs,
Each breath I take,
A stab to the heart,
I try again and again,
Cutting through the waves over and over,
Each day,
Dreading the exhaustion,
Dreading watching the others better than me,
Dreading the heartbreak as I finally see,
I can never be enough.
I will never be enough.
I will only be forgotten.

As I jump from the blocks,
Sprinting through the water,
My brain leaving my body,
I think nothing but to push,
To be better than the others,
To show everyone how great I am,
I watch with horror and somehow agreement,
As the others pass me,
Chopping through the water like knives that stab me in the back,
And know I can never be enough.
I will never be enough.
I will only be forgotten.

I push past the pain,
In practice I work,
Harder and harder with more resolve,
Get out every day shaking a little more,
At school my legs wobble from exhaustion and anticipation for the next one,
But no matter what I do,
When I go to the next real race,
And lose again and again,
Go far too slow,
Despite all I’ve worked for,
I can never be enough.
I will never be enough.
I will only be forgotten.

My name will be just like any other, drowning in the colossal waves made by others.