sometimes shame seems
like a thin scum on a still pool.
other times, like an avalanche
aimed at what's left of your
self worth. shame can make
you want to walk away from
yourself--until you come to the
end of the chain and recall
you can't do that. some days
you find you feel like a boss.
you fire shame, tell it to haul
its slithery useless self off
your job site. because you
have work to do. because
you know again that shame
is not the same as you.
hans ostrom 2021
