Not Even Second

When you said, “I do,”
I had an expectation
That my place with you was steadfast
But I missed an annotation

My place falls far behind
So many other things
Army, lies, you job, the guys
The other women caught in your strings

You’re a hero, a sexy grunt,
You sacrificed so much
I’m just the wallflower in the corner
Standing here, your crutch

The person getting up
To help you through each day
Quietly, unacknowledged,
While all praises go your way

You’re injuries are noble
So vast, so broad, so bleak
The kinds of things that could have
Stopped you if you had been weak

But, lo, you overcame them
While I was by your side
Sleeping on a chair, the floor,
Swallowing my pride

And every step along the way
My sacrifice unnoticed
Toiling tirelessly for you, for us,
Wife far from peace remotest

Your anniversaries, Your injuries
Your accomplishments, Your stuff
Every day are over shadowing
All the things that make me tough

Your rages, the eggshells,
The abuse and the drinking,
Leave me just at a loss
As to what it is you’re thinking

As if all the rest of this shit
Isn’t enough to endure
There are the other women you choose
Over me, despite all my allure

With every fight and every row
You swear your love and faith
Yet every action that you take
Haunts me like a wraith

When will I be enough?
Will I ever be your priority?
Will my words and deeds be recognized?
Or in this partnership will I stay the minority?

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This is about my life.