Photo by Homer Lopez on Unsplash

The scores I keep are only in my mind.

Never will I admit out loud that I am keeping track.

For that would make me childish
To be so open about others failures.

A silent tab is counted at each interval
Where I believe you have failed.

I calculate it each week.

Am I doing better than you or are you doing better than me?

I always do better than I thought.
I never set my goals too high.

I raise and lower the bar as I see fit for my life.

But,

Yours
On the other hand
Is never lowered.

That means

I will always do better than you in this game
That you aren’t even aware is being played.

— Nicole Barden 4/19/2021

Originally published in Know Thyself, Heal Thyself on Medium