by Meredith Siegel Cohen, Creator, Single and Striking Out
The shoulds that live inside my head never seem to rest
Despite my most sincere attempts to do my best.
What happened to morning exercise?
And the cookie that helped heal my pride.
Forget exhaustion–I should thrive.
You must be thin, you must be pretty
Fit and fun and oh so witty
To attract a man who isn’t
Because it’s what you “need.”
Be there for her, take steps for him
Make sure everybody wins
Except the one inside of you
who gets lost in all you do.
Middle age is squarely here
Mortality becoming real
You think about all you hold dear
And where you might like to be.
(A one-way ticket out of here!)
But then, reality takes hold.
No time to ponder getting old.
They need patience. They need presence.
They need steadiness from me.
This must be my mission.
And so, she waits
The girl inside
To feel valued, loved–truly alive.
She gives because she knows she should
Because she’s learned that this was good.
With all she has, she really tries
While quiet tears fill tired eyes.
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