Lady Guilt

Responsible

Reliable

Dependable

Me.

Synonyms.

I gather all my duties,

assignments,

and obligations

in my apron,

taking great care

that none are broken

or damaged.

I polish them

and place them

in their rightful places

in my life,

allowing them to suckle,

spoonfeeding them

with little bits of me,

until sometimes

I feel like a mass of holes --

still, somehow, never empty.

I live in awe

of all those around me

who calmly chuck

intrusions,

impositions,

and invasions,

as if they were last week's leftovers.

Why doesn't that

merciless Lady Guilt

(whose mighty slap I know so well)

crawl up their spines

as she's so fond

of doing to mine?