Love Poem: Shift
Madeline Weyand Avatar
Written by: Madeline Weyand

Shift

Early in life, I found you so cruel. 
There was never a day that you wouldn't pull,
tear at my body and poke at my mind,
terrorizing me with whatever you find inside.

Finally came a day that I was so tired of the noise.
I pulled at my hair and then raised my own voice.
“I'm tired of this. I won't listen anymore.
Talk to me kindly or walk out that door!”

Suddenly, all at once, I felt this shift.
Something inside of me finally clicked.
Everything went quiet for a moment or two
before I took the time to really listen to you.

“Take just a moment and let yourself forgive
all of the bad things that you think you ever did.
Only then is there a chance for you to see
that the one that's been cruel is you, not me.”

I paused for a moment to consider this thought, 
this new perspective that my conscience had brought.
The next time it spoke, I was doing no good.
I was treating someone far worse than I ever should.

“My dear, please take a moment and check on yourself.
This isn't a judgment. I'm just here to help.
If you keep up this act, you're sure to cause harm.
Start acting your truth. It works like a charm.”

I kept myself quiet until it was done,
then took the words in without a feeling along.
Strangely enough, the message wasn't so mean.
It's quite nice, in fact, from what I can see.

Maybe all of this time, it has really been true.
I've been mean to myself and just blaming you.
If I listen to this voice while it guides the way,
I keep feeling more like myself every single day.



Written: May 30, 2021