Cat Among the Pigeons - 2021

THE STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS Vivienne Christofides Danielle Yu I am pale with bags under my eyes, Like how joy is swept away in the sky.

I am strongly weak.

My weakness is my strength, But it’s also my foe.

It’s a deficiency, they say, That makes a hole in my system.

However it hasn’t yet stolen my brain, nor my soul.

The illusion lied to me, I thought I needed fixing, But I did not.

I lonely wept to myself, As only myself I could console.

I spent my time imagining my fate, Deep in the dungeon I had built.

The thoughts closed me in, Imprisoned me.

They imagined I was a fool.

But I was not.

There was still power within me, I could take control.

I had hope for my future, What I could do, who I could be.

I began looking for hope, Utilising my lessons learnt.

The treasures laid locked beneath, And only I could free them.

Strength spoke up.

Fear dissipated.

I saw my own truth, Hiding like an imposter.

What others thought didn’t matter, I needed to look for this old friend.

The one that brought tears to my eyes, The one that fixed my wounds.

I found it, held on to it.

It was there to say, I do not need someone, To find my own true roots.

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