By Mental Emotions
Success can bring unexpected challenges, admiration that hides envy, friendships that fracture, and walls built from the very victories we once celebrated. This poem explores the loneliness that can come with achievement, and the powerful realization that sometimes, the greatest rescue is the one we give ourselves.
The Poem
My success built a wall of enemies
I was born with grace.
My upbringing carried no visible cracks.
Studying was hard, but I was willing.
Graduation came with smiles.
My first job felt like a reward.
All was well, or so I thought.
I believed I had the best life could offer:
family, friends, familiar faces, colleagues,
everything looked right from where I stood.
But I see now, I was short-sighted.
One day, it all began to crumble.
I saw frowns hiding behind smiles.
Compliments turned into curses.
Back pats became sharp knives.
Celebrations turned into funerals.
Love turned into hate.
Suddenly, everyone was coming for my life,
for everything I had built.
I stood with my back against the wall,
surrounded by people I thought I knew.
I didn’t see it at first.
Now, I’m losing everything,
everything I believed was real.
No one came to save me.
That’s when I understood:
I am alone.
And in that knowing, I became my own rescue.
I am my plan A,
my plan B,
my plan C, right through to Z.
I came for myself.
All I ever truly had was me,
while others waited to see me fall.
And yes, I have fallen,
but not for long!
Reflection
This poem speaks to the paradox of success, how it can isolate us even as it elevates us. My Success Built a Wall of Enemies is a powerful reminder that self-reliance is not weakness, but resilience. In standing alone, we discover strength, and in rising again, we reclaim our power.
