If The SHoe Fits
Poem by: Dee Parker
They talk about good intentions—where?
All I see are their hands, their eyes, their whispers,
and it tells a different story.
They want me small.
They want my wins crushed, stolen,
or handed to someone else
so they can feel bigger.
Claiming they got my back
while throwing my mistakes
like daggers, using my mishaps for target practice.
Aren’t we supposed to lift each other as we rise?
Push each other to be great?
Instead, some make me feel less
just so they can feel better.
Now I see clearly!
It was never about a team,
never about “us.”
It was always them vs. me.
Now, it’s only me vs. me.
I am my own competition.
If you can’t stand beside me
in the storm,
Why would I need you
in the sun?
Speak without screaming.
Listen without waiting to respond.
Rise without dragging others down.
Learn patience.
Learn listening.
Learn to express without anger.
Rise without tearing.
I keep moving.
I keep building.
Even when the world wants me still.
Because in the end,
it’s all small steps…
to a giant.
( Random Thoughts)
D~ Parker 3.15.2026
