Missing Confidence

I did ever since I was eight

"Don't be a ballerina," they said. "Do something more kick ass."

So I took their words and put myself out there -

I started doing martial arts

With every punch and kick I learned, I felt my confidence grow

With every class I went to, I felt more and more at home

My voice came out, I felt positive, assertive, self-possessed

My communication skills grew and wrapped themselves around me

Six years came and went, and here we are in 2016

This activity is ingrained in me

Something solid, something warm

A building block for who I am today

But… hey, I should try something new, right?

For three months I played basketball at my school

With all the dribbling, the time for martial arts quickly dissipated

Shoot and score was all I did

And I soon realized it took a t-toll on me

I s-sunk into my turtle shell, so to speak

I couldn’t talk without somehow m-messing up

My voice was low and my eyes were down

What did confidence ever feel like?

The basketball season ended of course

So here I am now, back at the gym I’d been to for years

My speech is finally better and

My confidence healing itself

But... throughout this cold winter I learned

Martial arts is something I just can’t live without