self-doubt

self-doubt(dout)

doubting the self

By Henry H. Walker

my student writes of doubt, of despair(diˈspe(ə)r),
all hidden behind(bəˈhīnd) his tight(tīt) smile,
my student writes of living past her own doubts
by letting her love reach out to embrace(emˈbrās) another,

there is a sweet(swēt) gentleness,
a belief(bəˈlēf) in the wholeness,
in the wonder of the other,
that many of us can give,
and give joyously(ˈjoiəslē), continuously(kənˈtinyo͝oəslē),
yet it is woefully(ˈwōfəlē) hard to give
that unconditional(-ˈdiSHnəl,ˌənkənˈdiSHənl) love to ourselves,

we need the friend, the partner(ˈpärtnər),
so that the foundation of who we are
finds a footing that can endure(inˈd(y)o͝or, enˈd(y)o͝or)
the buffeting(ˈbəfitiNG), the buffeting, the buffeting,
that self-doubt throws and throws at us.

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2018/11/self-doubt.html