Transforming Shame

If I am tied to shame,

I believe that I am inherently bad.

This causes me to hate who I am,

chronically feeling as if I am worthless and no good.

In an effort to escape this intense pain,

I will strive for perfection

and work to mold myself

into the person I think you want me to be

in order to receive your love.

In some way,

it feels as if this might somehow make up

for not receiving the love I needed as a child,

and it never works,

it only causes me more pain.

Little do I know, this is like death to my real self.

In order to heal this rift within myself,

I must be willing to face the corrosive shame that drives me,

opening to this wounded part of myself,

witnessing her suffering,

and offering her the love that she so desperately needs.

In the end, I am the only one who can truly give her what she needs to heal.