Heather Pound

It’s taken me a while, but I’m learning to embrace

something that everyone feels,

but some of us live half their lives–or more

not being able to do

It was almost the ending of me

~~~

The expression, or even the recognition of

our very own needs

Did I say ‘own’? Shock and gasp!

Is that even acceptable, selfish at the core?

It’s silly, isn’t it to see everyone else’s,

but ignore our own

~~~~

This. The issue of many women that I know

Issuing out their lives for everyone else, expected

Bleeding for those around them,

but dried out by the doing, yesterday’s tea leaves

left at the bottom

~~~~

We can resent those that we love

because they don’t acknowledge our needs,

but how can they when we

don’t even know what they are?

Or pretend that we’re fine when, really, we’re empty

~~~~

Pour into your own cup first

because we can overflow

but it’s impossible to let others sip

when there’s nothing left there to start with

~~~~