Straightjacket Failures Poem by Mark Heathcote

I'm a failure, but I've figured it out
How to fake it, that I'm not.
But I'm not fooling anyone but myself
I'm a failure as a son
I'm a failure as a partner
I'm a failure as a father, as a grandparent.
The world erodes me down to basic elements
And those around me don't help.
Our leaders and laws put me in a straightjacket
And feeds me with a thousand lies
Much of what we promise to be is an illusion
A deception even to ourselves
I'm a failure to you
You're a failure to me
I learnt that from an early age
I learnt it from my parents
I learnt it from school
I learnt it from my kids
Society tells me that daily
I'm a failure, but I've figured it out
How to fake it, that I'm not.
But honestly, I'm not fooling anyone, not even myself.