From My Heart To Yours

As I'm going through this cleanse and thinking about all the areas of my life that need some more attention, I am reminded that there are times when you need to put yourself first.  Because just like most of us, I sometimes try to please everyone else and my wants and needs get put aside for what is supposed to be a temporary time and ends up being far too long.

And as I thought about that, I was reminded of a poem by a friend of mine.  Her name is  Zakiya Toby and she wrote a great poem called 'Forgive Me'.  It talks about freeing yourself from the bounds of the guilt of trying to please everyone and the joy there is in putting yourself first for a change.  While not every line applies to my life, the overall message really resonated with me.    The poem is below and I think you will enjoy it. 


Zakiya has also written a book called From My Heart To Yours, and it's available on amazon.com.  You know that I think it's important to support upcoming local talent and she is a talented poet with a distinct point of view.

Zakiya Toby: From My Heart To Yours (on amazon.com)

Forgive me

Lately I’ve been accused

Accused of crimes against humanity

And I must confess...I’m GUILTY

So now I stand before the court

To beg for forgiveness

Please forgive me…yes forgive me for not being the person you think I should be

Cuz I’m too busy being the person God intended for me to be

Cuz sometimes I need to take care of me and my home

Sometimes I can’t take the time to take care of all your problems

While mine stand in the cold shivering

I’m sorry!

Forgive me because our relationship started off on the wrong foot

It was my fault and I take full responsibility

I shouldn’t have lent you an ear when you needed advice

A hand when you were down

And a shoulder to cry on

Being who I am I didn’t set the boundaries

You apparently needed

See, you thought that was my place

That my purpose was to feed you and for that...

My deepest apologies!

I’m also sorry for being busy

Busy taking care of a wounded soul

A broken bruised and fragile soul

That needs nurturing more than you’ll ever know

 I’m sorry for letting you think that

I was always OK

Truth is that I was not

But somehow found the inner strength to

Push past my now to peer into tomorrow

So that hope

Rises through my core

Stirs up something on the inside

And oozes through my pores

Whatever you feed will surely grow

And instead of growing the weeds and wounds

I choose to cultivate life!

Just because I smile, doesn’t mean I’m not in pain

I choose to put my best foot forward

Because that’s where it belongs

In front

But in the last little while

It’s been dangling behind me

Begging to see the sun

But I was too busy clearing the weeds

From your garden

That I neglected to tend to mine

Again I’m sorry

Truth is

I'm a single mama

With very little help

Who is on the grind every damn day for her seed

Working all kinds of jobs

To keep the tops of our heads dry

And make the hunger pangs subside

 So forgive me perhaps,

If I don't have the time to take the pieces of your life

And glue them back together after you threw down the glass

I’m sorry but I’m just too busy

Too busy taking care of me
Or busy planning
Or busy trying to forget how lonely it is sometimes

Because it sure can be lonely

But you wouldn’t know because

You talk too damn much to

Listen for just a second

Now, I’m busy
Busy building an empire

Perfectly positioning each and every brick

Busy creating a legacy that stretches

Past the generations of my mind’s eye

Busy writing my story, my future

When you’re sleeping...

I’m up at 5am with a sick child after working hard til 4

Or bathing in coffee to keep my eyes open

Enough to see the lines on the road

Or finding a moment to enjoy on my own

With a glass of wine and a good chune

I guess what I’m trying to say is…

FORGIVE ME

You are not my everything!