Doubt swings his ax in midair

I duck just in time

Swings again and I feel my head

Roll across the room

I chase it down and hold it tight

I run

But Doubt is close behind

Laughing maniacally

“You will never do this”

He says

” Who do you think you are?”

I want to doubt him but he is Doubt

It’s hard to do

He is strong

He makes the rules

I try to break them

But I fail miserably

I am Doubt’s greatest student

I learned well and he knows my soft spots

I churn out waves of affirmations

But he cackles back

“You will fail!”

I choose not to believe him

And I run harder and faster

I trip over an insult

My head falls from my arms

Rolling faster and faster

 

He stops, picks it up and hands it to me

“You can have your head

But know I am inside

Always inside”

He walks away

I know he is right

I put my head back on, lower it in shame

Taking my seat with the rest of the class.