So full of artless jealousy is guilt, It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.
– William Shakespeare
Carrying a weight constantly
Of guilt that I felt incessantly
On falling short of expectations
Efforts thwarted by frustrations
Never was able to be good enough
The path to success seemed to be rough
I chided myself to work harder still
But the monster of guilt I could not kill
Like shackles on my feet, guilt slowed me
Trapping me inside my own misery.
*
It took forever for me to realize
That most of my guilt was not justified
A useless expensive emotion it was
Throwing me into depression’s jaws
More introspection, and I found out
That I could erase all guilt and doubt
Just by believing in myself and my actions
And turning a deaf ear to others’ reactions
What a sense of liberation came to me
When I finally became guilt-free.