Do you see the sadness
That’s hiding behind my eyes?
The pain that I carry
The weight that’s heavy on my soul
Do you sense the burdens
That so many have placed on me
Do you feel how spent I am
What is it you think you see?
Every day they need me
To be strong for them
Every day they bleed me
Or do they feed me, instead
Life is so complex
And needs are an intricate mess
Where do they end and I begin?
I’m not sure I’m doing my best
Each day I press on
And do what they need from me
Each day I’m closer to death
And in that space I’ll breathe
Some burdens I embrace
My beautiful children four
Other weights I’d discharge
The ex I showed the door
The career that used to hold me up
No longer holds such sway
I will continue as long I must
Until that far off imagined day
Do I hold on just for them?
If I let go would they succumb?
I used to know these answers
But now I feel so numb
I suppose for them I’m alive
They motivate me to survive
But as I pivot to the empty nest
I hope I’ll learn to thrive
All these years and all this time
I thought I was teaching them to fly
But life is so much more sublime
Turns out they were teaching me the why
