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.