​i belong to myself

​i belong to myself first
i am responsible to myself first
i am beholden to myself first

i may love others
but i cannot control them
i can control myself

i may want to help others
who do not wish to help themselves
and that i cannot solve
but i can shift the focus to myself
i can help myself

i may be brought to unwanted feelings by others
and want those others to correct their actions
to stop my pain--and they may not
but i, still, am responsible for processing my way
through that pain
i am responsible for my feelings

others may wish me to be different in some ways
may want me to act differently, believe differently,
live my life differently--but my responsibility in life
is first to honor my own compass, to fine-tune my
ear to my heart, and step inline with what seems
true and right and best to me

i cannot please everyone
i cannot fix anyone
i can only be myself
i can show up
i can be present and available and honest and heartfelt
and set boundaries
and i can be myself
and work to do so with honor and courage and to detach myself
from the shame, expectations, and miscellaneous opinions of others

and respect that others must be themselves, too