Poem: Internal Dialogue
You have a way
of slipping fear
in crevices of self-doubt.
You have a way of sliding
in harsh criticism
at moments of triumph.
You have a way
of making self-worth
seem mythical.
You have a way
of shouting louder
than my other thoughts.
But I…
I am not so easily
taken down.
I will believe myself
a failure and
still press on.
I will believe
your lies and see
them as the truth.
But I
will keep getting up
after every fall.
Because I
cannot breathe
cannot live
cannot be
without this
in my life.
I love the strength in this piece. the owning up to the negative thoughts in one’s head and pushing forward despite them.
Ah, thank you. It’s nice to hear how other people perceive a poem I’ve written. I wrote this a few months ago, but when I read it, it captured how I’d been feeling. I at least know I have the determination to pursue my writing goals, but some days are harder than others.
You’re totally welcome!
I know what you mean about some days being harder than others. I love writing and I love writing my Ambrose and Elsie story. But there are some days where my brain is just too tired to work right. I’ll stare at the blank screen and think, “I have no idea what should happen in this chapter or whose point of view this should even be in.” Or I’ll start a chapter and sense that there’s something inexplicably off about it. So, I’ll have to delete what I’ve written and try again. Sometimes, I’ll have three false starts before I get the chapter heading in the right direction.
Then, there are other days when the words are coming so fast and furious I feel like my fingers can’t keep up. 😆
Amazing piece. This captures somewhat how I’m feeling this morning. That’s what makes great writing, finding the right words when you cannot express it yourself. This really speaks to me , especially the feeling of failure yet keeping on. Great writing 🙂
Aw, thank you. I’ve been working hard on writing projects lately, but I just can’t shake this feeling. Sometimes that’s the only thing you can do though, keep pushing on despite how you feel about it. I’m getting a few projects closer to completion, so I think it’s just fear I’m dealing with.
I’m sorry you’re kind of feeling this way too. I know it’s rough, but you’re a great writer. 🙂
A great write up, Mandie! I’m sorry that my comments are so short, but I have limited time on this end lately.
No worries. I’m just glad to see you again.
hi actually I am here to read this poem because my professor asked us to use our discourse information to analyze the poem in about 200 words I am Iraqi student so can we help me in someway understand the poem well
That’s very cool. I think you’ll do a wonderful job with your poetry analysis and I believe your professor thinks so as well, or he or she wouldn’t have chosen this poem. Let me give you some guidance to help you on your way.
First, my intention with the poem is only half of the puzzle. As a reader of this poem, your understanding and the meaning you pull from the poem is equally if not more important to the final interpretation of the poem as it is filtered through your own life experiences.
This poem reflects two sides of the same person. It contains the harsh critic most of us have in our minds versus the part of us chasing after our dreams. It’s a battle of wills. Keep that in mind as you go through the lines. The “You” represents one side and the “I” represents the other side.
Honestly, some people have actual people in their lives who are represented by the “You.” People’s negative words can echo in our heads long after the person has said them. And we must struggle against those as well.
See if this poem resonates with you, if you’ve had any similar experiences and use that to help you unlock the meaning for you.
Keep in mind, the activity on my website indicates many of your classmates have visited and they’ll probably read this comment too and you don’t all want to have the same interpretation. Use these comments as a starting point for your analysis, then dig deeper.
Best of luck!
Thank you so much and I am happy because you answered me 😻❤
Hello! I hope you can clarify a little bit the meaning of your poem, as it is unclear and difficult for the reader.
Thank you for your comment. Please go to the comment right above yours, which offers some guidance in understanding this poem. (It’s the response to the question from batool).
I understand you are doing a poetry analysis for class and I’m trying to be as helpful as possible without doing the analysis for you. The thing to keep in mind is the poem is a conversation within one person. Two sides, but one person. The hypercritical part of the mind versus the dream chaser. The image at the top splits the conversation into its two parts, so you can see it visually. I hope this helps!