Again and Again

I am your daughter
Playing out the role
Of your teacher
Your mother
Using my precious energy
To steer you on course
Again and Again
So that you can
Do the right thing
And come through for me
You have glimmers
Of understanding and care
Then fall back into
The darkness
That envelops you
And attempts to
Engulf me
It may not be your fault
It certainly is not mine
And yet
You implicitly blame me
Attempt to shackle me
With the chaines of your suffering
That stems directly
From your choices and actions
That threaten to destroy me
Yet somehow
For some reason
Despite knowing better
I take the hit
Again and again

©2017 by Loolwa Khazzoom. All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be copied without author’s permission.