My Voice

I had a desire to be heard, and I used to think

That I had a lot to offer the world, if I put to paper my ink

I had the audacious ambition of being known

As a writer, have a respected voice of my own

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To cultivate and nourish my voice, I tried

But it was impossible for me to take pride

In my voice, because I was unable to find

External validation, the critic in my mind

Continued to tell me my voice was not important enough

To silence that critic was incredibly tough

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I tried to make peace with the unilateral decision

That since my voice was not worthy of recognition

I would stop trying to nurture it, stop trying to write

But the overwhelming desire to express myself I continued to fight

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One day in a burst of inspiration

I began to write again, and experienced the exhilaration

Of expressing myself, I decided that day

That I would not allow my voice to be silenced in any way

By my inner critic or the lack of validation

From others-my voice is a celebration

Of my unique place in the universe

I shall remember that each time I write a verse