Never Enough

Since the moment I breathed my first quiet sigh,
You measured my worth with a skeptical eye.
A puzzle you judged but never could see.

I walked the tightrope, I followed the rules,
Turned every sharp word into stepping-stone tools.
I carried the weight of the faults you would find,
Yet none of my efforts could soften your mind.

Your words, sharp-edged, carved through my skin,
Each syllable whispered: You’ll never win.
I reached for your pride, I reached for your praise,
But love was a language you never phrased.

I traced the lines of love in your face,
but found only shadows, never grace.
Every step I took, every word I said,
became another stone you wished you hadn’t laid.

Too loud, too quiet, too weak, too bold,
Too much like fire, too distant, too cold.
A script unwritten, yet somehow rehearsed,
No matter the scene, I always came first —
First to be blamed, first to be wrong,
A daughter misplaced in a father’s song.

Every step wrong, every move flawed,
Every dream crushed by the weight of your laws.
I built myself up, I tried to be strong,
Yet in your eyes, I was always wrong.

I reached for your warmth, but grasped only glare,
A nod, a smile, were they ever there?

And still, I stand, though weary and rough.
Not for you, but for me.
For I am enough.

With love,
R