Poetry by Helen Bryce: Set up to compete

Set up to compete

I’m competing with you every time we meet
Wondering if my size, my hair, the clothes that I wear can be better, can mean I am more worthy, more complete
I’m competing with you in a race that doesn’t exist, a phantom event where I’m the only runner on the starting line
Or perhaps there are others, perhaps we are all competing, just in parallel races all at a different time
I’m competing with you in-spite of myself
Because there’s only so much room upon the shelf
Limited seats at the table I’ve been told, places at the top
We can’t all survive, so some must drop

But I’m a reluctant competitor, an awkward pawn
In a game that I really didn’t sign up to at all
In the arena we’re manipulated, set up to fight
To bring each other down so only one group’s alright
My competing with you fills me with shame, I know it’s wrong, so then, don’t speak
and then they keep us down again
But these competitors are fierce, these competitors are strong and it’s the opposite side that should fear they don’t belong
I will no longer compete with you, my sisters, won’t bring you down so I can rise
It’s together that we’ll win, when we break these competition lies.