I stand

I thought I stood among giants
But some of them were snakes
Cold to my vulnerability
I’m more potoroo than python

I do not hiss, I scurry
I do not fight, I run

I thought I was not worthy
As I am no giant
In their presence I felt meek
I’m more a pleaser than a wheeler-dealer

I do not shout, I speak
I do not deceive, I breathe

I had been eroded
Worn down like the riverbed
It felt like the end, until
One more layer shed
Cracked wide open
I saw something else instead

An essence, distilled into grit

I thought I was a coward
But I sparkled under pressure
I thought I was a doormat
But I held a door to a new future

I was weak, until I wasn’t
I once stood among giants
Some of them were snakes

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Clea Marshall is based in Wellington. She has spent much of her career writing for large organisations. This poem reflects a recent foray into creative writing and poetic ramblings.