Balance

There once was a man named Doubt. This was not his birth name, but rather a name given while growing up. For everywhere he went, doubt followed. Whenever people where happy, he would sow doubt about their happiness. Whenever people were proud off their accomplishments, he would sow doubt about their abilities. Above all else, the one he doubted was himself. Since doubt resided at his core, it stopped him from trying anything new. Believing he would never amount to anything,

There once was a woman named Sure. Just like Doubt, this was not her given name, but rather a name procured while growing up. For everywhere she went, sureness followed. Whenever people where happy, she would ensure their happiness. Above all else, the one she was most sure about was herself. At every project she started, she was sure she would excel. In every topic she discussed, she was sure she was right.

Doubt and Sure never had any friends. Doubt threw people off with his sulkiness; Sure alienated people by her overestimated abilities. When Doubt met Sure, all thought they would cancel each other out. That Doubt would be the destruction off Sure. This was not to come.

Sure gave Doubt the confidence he lacked to give him a real vocation. Doubt gave Sure some sorely needed realism about her abilities. They complement each other perfectly. Together they had the strength to pursue the projects they knew they will do well, the realism to stay away from the things they cannot, and the careful curiosity to try everything new. And such they inspired in others as well, giving them an abundance of friends.

Together they are Balance.

Pain

Pain
It is simple, she says
Quell the darkness
Snuff the mind
And the feelings will shift
It is soon over, she says
Then you forget
And life carries on
Joyful
Painless
I stare
And shake my head
Disbelieving
It is all in your head, she says
The blackness
The pain of not belonging
Does that mean it is not real?
Being in my mind
Always screaming
Behind a smiling mask
Silently
Invisibly
Longing for understanding
It is only a feeling, she says
Not always true
Never really important
I laugh
And cry
A feeling can not be silenced
Or carelessly thrown away
However unwanted
Unjustified
Barely numbed
It envelops me
Drags me down
You are being difficult, she says
I glare
I am not the difficult one
Not the one with closed eyes
A closed mind
She refuses to see the darkness
Shuts out the screaming
Always helping
Wrongly
Egotistically
You are delusional, she says
I sigh
And turn
She will never understand
My pain