
I walk into rooms
and wonder how long it’ll take
before someone realizes
I don’t belong here.
My smile feels staged,
my confidence borrowed,
my voice a shaky echo
of someone I wish I were.
They say I’m strong,
capable,
brave—
but all I hear is the doubt
scratching at the back of my mind,
whispering that I’m faking it,
fooling them,
lucky more than worthy.
I carry praise like it’s fragile,
like it might shatter
the moment I look at it too closely.
Every compliment feels like a mistake
with my name on it.
And yet—
I keep showing up,
heart pounding,
hands trembling,
hoping no one sees
the cracks beneath my skin.
Maybe I’m not an imposter at all…
maybe I’m just someone
who’s been fighting so long
I forgot what it feels like
to trust myself.
Maybe the real fraud
is the voice that tells me
I’m not enough.
