sometimes i like to tell myself that i can help myself,
as if i could give myself a helping hand,
or shake my hand,
or a gentle hug,
but i have trouble expressing myself to, well,
myself, so i get tongue-tied standing in front of the mirror
wondering what i should say, or if it’s even appropriate to say anything,
given all that i know about myself
I have a bunch of note cards in my pocket that I carry around all day
to remind me to act normal and not be so standoffish,
they give me advice that I’ve written down over the years
from self-help books and seminars,
sometimes just random phrases I thought sounded cool at the time,
or buzzwords that I read in a blog about becoming less misanthropic,
but they only work whenever I check them every fifteen minutes or so,
less my resolve tears down and I retreat
to the cavern of my mind,
so I can take my shoes off,
and relax
Fred Aiken Writing 