I wake before dawn,
drive through blinding snowstorms,
if lost, alter course – without faltering –
even set out on foot when driving
becomes impossible, navigating
treacherous snow and ice, for you
So you can get where you need to be
So you can succeed
I risk it all for you
I keep you by my side
so that you will be safe
so that I can ensure your arrival
But, I grow weary, and my body
won’t go on, and all I ask for
is that we rest awhile,
so that I can catch my breath
And in that instance, you are gone –
no hesitation in your step, no looking back –
and when you finally stop to wait for me
it is too late…
A barrier has grown between us:
like an eight-foot, chain-link fence
separating me from protecting you
And you look at me with that glare
of exasperation that says:
“I should have done it on my own.”
Wait! Wait, I say.
This wall may seem insurmountable
but I can do it. I can do it; give me time.
I’ll just climb to the top.
It’ll be easy; you’ll see!
Don’t walk away! Give me one more chance
to prove my love. I do it all for you.
(Martyr’s Lament first appeared here in November, 2014.
This version is a rewrite. Image my own.)
One Woman's Quest 
I enjoyed listening to you read your poem. A role that is so easy to fall into and much harder to break free of!
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I hated that my mother was such a martyr and vowed never to be like her, but without awareness of an alternative, there I went…. Thanks Heather.
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It happens to the best of us.
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awesome VJ! I loved hearing the audio too! Xo
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Thanks Carol Anne!
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Smiling in recognition, VJ. I think each of us has an inner martyr – this such a CLEAR portrait, and a marvelous recording. Here’s to both recognition of those fences and to the intuition that gets us over them. Those frustrated others just want us to keep up to their pace … and “get over it” (fences thrown up in our exhaustion).
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Thanks Jazz. This role is so easy to fall into – I needed a reminder to laugh at myself and chill.
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Yup – gotta laugh, break the habitual thought-train!
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Spot on! This is indeed how a self-sacrificing martyr thinks. And I can relate to that too.
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Thanks 😊
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You’re welcome
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Thanks Sadje. Glad I’m not alone.
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So am I. A mindset that’s hard to get out of.
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We women have a habit of lapsing into this role from time to time.
Loved your reading.
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Thank you!
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You are welcome.
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I greatly enjoyed your expressive reading of “Martyr’s Lament.” The role is an easy trap to fall into, particuarly for women.
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It sure is. Thanks Liz.
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You’re welcome, VJ.
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Fantastic VJ! 💜
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Thanks 😊
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A recipe to obtain a happy marriage it seems
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Lol. I hope not.
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On second thought, you’re right.
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A role we easily and unintentionally slip into. Your description is perfect!
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So true, Eugi. Thanks.
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Loved listening to this. It’s like the codependent’s anthem.
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It really is! Thanks K
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Great reading! You put emotion in it! You act out the poem instead of just reading. Greatness!
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Sometimes a poem needs to be read aloud to give it meaning ( or sung)! Thanks 🙏
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This is beautiful and bittersweet, VJ. Like the lack of empathy a child sometimes has for their parent, not understanding all they do for them. You expressed it so well in the dialogue. Really well done ❤️
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You are right on. I wrote it after a dream of one of my kids. Thanks so much.
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It totally came through.
You’re most welcome ☀️
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