The Codependent's Lament

I was lost in a desert of my own making,
Parched and weary, my soul aching.
Seeking oasis of love and care,
But finding only mirages of despair.

I gave my water, my last precious drop,
To those who would not, could not stop.
Their thirst was endless, a bottomless well,
And I, the prisoner of my own private hell.

I built my home on shifting sands,
Trying to meet their demands.
I thought if I gave enough, they would see,
And finally, have love for me.

But the more I gave, the more they took,
With never a grateful word or look.
I drained myself, became hollow and dry,
Watching my own spirit die.

The desert is vast, the sun is cruel,
But I am no longer love's fool.
I must save the last drops for my own root,
And slowly nurture my own tender shoot.

The oasis was within me all along,
A hidden, neglected, but beautiful song.
I turn my back on the draining sea,
And begin the journey back to me.

Now I stand guard at my heart’s clear spring,
Quietly fierce in the boundaries I bring.
I drink first, then share from a cup that is whole,
No longer abandoning my own precious soul.
In the shade of the self-love I fiercely defend,
I bloom, I belong, to myself—my own friend.