The Road You're On

You don’t have the money to feed your kids  

And you worry all the time  

About how you will afford the gas to get to work each day  

The backyard needs mowing  

And the carpets are spotted in filmy grays and browns  

Legos beating up the bottom of your feet  

And toys you didn’t realize were around anymore  

Plodding in clustered corners  

Like forgotten weeds  

While you struggle vehemently  

With your insides  

Wondering if anyone can love you  

Really love you  

Because the apocalypse of age  

Looms recklessly closer  

And your veneer of confidence  

Tired and beaten  

Verges on utter collapse.

You thought maybe he loved you  

So you gave and gave  

Until you were handing out offerings  

From your internal cesspool,  

Still giving, nonetheless.  

He doesn’t love you after all, does he?  

And slipped away in the dead of night  

With all your cash  

And your last stick of gum  

That you needed  

Because you are all out of toothpaste  

And don’t get paid for another  

Week.      

You don’t give your love away for free  

Anymore and now your heart darkens  

Just a tiny bit more...  

And you’ll never get over this one,  

You know that,  

Because you gave him everything  

And now you have nothing left.