She grew up in the wrong neighbourhood,
hardened by the torment of
the architects of her birth,
prosecuted by colleagues
for her harsh upbringing,
for her limited formal education,
for her backwoods speech,
even for her successes.
What right did she have to
compete with
the post-graduates,
the elite,
the established?
Of course, she has insecurities,
suffers from imposter syndrome.
They are the ingredients for humility and hard work.
Though she awakens each morning with self-doubt,
she’s molded her spine into titanium,
and her skin into Teflon.
Each success builds confidence,
each setback makes her stronger,
and slowly,
piece by piece,
the doubters are left behind like glacial debris.