Imposter Syndrome - By Shreya Acharjya

Impostor Syndrome (noun)

/ɪmˈpɑstər ˈsɪn.droʊm/

-by Shreya Acharjya

i had my foot in the door

of the sanguine prospect of more

strange figure on the threshold

shivering from the biting cold

oh, i could never be so bold

as to impose on the whole

great grand celebration

without any prior invitation

waiting for a ‘come in, come in!’

but the silence is clear and resounding

stark in the otherwise silent night

should’ve known something wasn’t right.

it’s not that i ate lunch alone, as you’d expect

i had friends, the last time i checked

from a planet with an elusive dialect 

a secret language i just couldn’t perfect

i’ve forsaken myself to a life of static

when by all means i should’ve been dramatic

and radiant and a delight to be around

but now i’m just an echo without a sound

that infamous tree in the forest 

silent in its free falling death.

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About The Author

Shreya Acharjya, bookworm extraordinaire, is a high schooler from New Delhi, India, whose passion lies in art and its many forms. Through poetry, prose, paintings, and playlists, she explores the essence of herself and the surroundings she beholds.

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Cover page by Shreya Acharjya