Joe

someone once told me
i'm a genius but no one knows it
yet.
the words echoed
in my chest like a bruise,
a slow-rising bloom
of doubt.

he was a published writer,
a scholar,
a know-it-all.

in the mirror
i searched for signs
of brilliance,
but all i found
were the same
flickering eyes
that have always
looked back.

only a goddamn fool
would ever think
i was a genius,
and deep down
i know i'm that fool
clutching a certificate
of mediocrity.

it's low self esteem,
on both sides.

you know who you are.
you're a mistaken fool.

i'm joe.
that's it.