I am my own nemesis

I thwart my own progress

On weaknesses I lay emphasis

And disregard any success

This is something I realized

After introspection relentless

And when I did, I was surprised

That I had caused my unhappiness..

Every negative experience

Made me turn inwards and chide

Myself, and curse my existence-

From myself I always wanted to hide

Took me years to comprehend

The world was my soul’s reflection

If within myself I would make amends

My world would move in the same direction

I was looking for external validation

For love, and whole-hearted acceptance

How could I expect it when self-condemnation

Had invaded every corner of my existence?

***

I was grateful for having realized

That my own worst enemy was I

It did not take me long to decide

To give self-love an honest try

Difficult as it was to replace

Self-loathing with kindness and love

It was spiritual travel to a new place

With blessings from above.