The actions were not mine
yet I filled them with disappointment,
taking offence where none was intended;
– there’s a message here for me.

I landed face-first in a puddle of mud
and couldn’t deflect the embarrassment
by laughing and wiping it off;
– there’s a message here for me.

When you poke a finger deeper into my wounds
you are not affected by my irritations,
in fact, they may spur you on;
– there’s a message here for me.

When the rewards came your way,
only resentment came along mine
and I could easily justify that feeling;
– there’s a message here for me.

When all that resentment bubbled over,
a daily garbage collection of anger,
regrettable bitter words were unleashed;
– there’s a message here for me.

If I could only just be like you,
yet not be filled with a jealousy
that I use to punish myself further;
– there’s a message here for me.

I’m so stuck here with this other me,
paralysed by an illogical fear,
that I can’t live without this other;
– there’s a message here for me.

Lucky for me I found the perfect teacher,
The angel on the other shoulder
that speaks with clarity
to deliver these messages.