Vanity is a Balloon

I feed on praise,

It holds power to make me smile,

It eases my loneliness for awhile,

But vanity is a balloon full of air,

It lifts me up and then isn’t there,

Criticism and rejection pierce my balloon,

Back to earth I tumble soon,

Dreading the ridicule of one or two,

I impose self limits on what I do,

I want applause,

But not if I have to freeze my heart,

Caging my integrity right from the start,

I’ve made a decision to do what is right,

So I can look in a mirror and sleep at night,

I’ll stand alone if I need to be,

Standing for truth and human dignity,

I’m a long way from perfect as you can see,

And I can’t be you and you can’t be me,

While I struggle to control my vanity,

I’ll try to help others and love tenderly.