POETRY
The Servant
Poetry on the emotional and physical labour of women
cooking, cleaning, dusting, washing….
How did I become a servant
in this thing called love?
I wanted a gentleness
to keep my heart warm
on winter evenings,
The safety of knowing
that I’d always be held.
wiping, arranging, organising, putting away….
Now I have to pay the price for this
through back-breaking labour,
ever-present attention
and constant emotional toil,
I wanted to be a sunset in someone's heart,
but now I’ve become a servant at his beck and call.
sorting, picking up, loading, unloading…
I’m exhausted but I cannot rest,
I must continue to be his rock,
even when my foundations lay shaky,
I must continue to prove to the world
what a good wife/girlfriend/partner I am.
enough, I’m tired, exhausted, spent and run down….
How did my life morph into this?
where did my sense of self go?
how can anyone call this love?
I want my life back,
I'm tired of being
a servant.
Poet’s note: The notion of emotional and physical labour done by women everywhere, inspires this poem. The hidden and perpetual labour women are expected to do to “keep” a relationship can be so unfair and overwhelming for women. Many women chronically feel depleted, unseen and under-appreciated because they have become servants disguised as partners in their relationships. Not enough is being said about this injustice. Thanks for reading and I’d love to hear some of your thoughts.
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