Victory

When you have always 

been shy and awkward 

and found the motives 

of other people 

to be baffling 

it is difficult to imagine 

how from the outside 

anyone could look at you

and see only talent and success

instead of stumbling 

and sometimes luck.

It’s true I have an impish quality 

which passes as darling

but not beautiful in a world

where women are always measured 

on the yardstick of attraction 

and my intellect is diligent 

not the lightning fast wit

that I so admire 

and many of you

have been gifted with.

All my successes are drawn up

from the well of perseverance 

my only real strength 

is to keep trying when those

with better talent and intelligence 

have thrown in the towel

because they know when 

to quit

but I am too foolish to realize defeat 

and so I keep pulling victory 

out of the extinguished fire

astonishing everyone 

including myself.