by

 Stephanie Darnell

I will love him more than I should,
Give him more benefit of the doubt
Than he deserves.

I will accept half-truths
As if they were whole,
Believing him, instead of my gut.

I will overlook discrepancies in his explanations.
I will cautiously walk on the eggshells
He keeps around himself.

I will forget who I am,
But remember his mother’s birthday,
Sign his name on a card, and mail it to her.

I will live a lie without even knowing it,
and I’ll wonder why I’m not happy
and why nobody has ever thanked me.

                            ##

Occasionally a poem catches my attention. This one captures my heart.  In five stanzas it also defines codependency — at least what it means to poet Stephanie Darnell and others.

No Small Love, Stephanie’s online gallery and shop, offers more of her creations, including a growing collection of greeting and note cards.  While most of the cards speak to special occasions such as a daughter’s birthday, her gallery includes three sympathy cards that speak to grief with the same clarity and soul as her poem about codependency.

 Stephanie’s poem and website don’t need a longer introduction.  They speak for themselves.

Visit No Small Love HERE.

Melody