In Marriage by Eli Oko

Do your part
Help my self-esteem
Support me in marriage
Don’t laugh at my dreams
Remind me to love deeper in marriage
Don’t touch me so deep
When my word, stop, is taken seriously
Don’t disguise wrong
Conclude You & Me as good
I am not a playing field for a game of thrones
You can rule as King in my woods
But give me a place in royalty too
Show me what loyalty can do
Apologise with your eyes and not just your words
I’ll respect the effort as much as this hurts
I know depression in marriage
I know regret
I saw my mother
I know what’s next
Don’t leave these memories lying around the house
Leave me exposed lying on the couch
Don’t leave these pictures hanging on my walls
Leave me to explain the resistance marks painted from your paws
Simply don’t touch me
Emotionally, physically, I mean literally
Don’t touch me
If your intent is to empty me
Don’t fill me with lies
Teach me to identify true love in marriage
Allow me to identify true touch in marriage
Train me to stand for my rights
Not to let people taint what is mine
My “stop” should always mean stop
You should have taught me to feel like more
Not second guessing your smile as I walk through the door
It was your job to teach me to identify trust
But you haven’t taught me that much
Father, I can’t see a future with a man who loves me
Because ‘love’ has taken its toll
Father your fingers comb my thoughts
And leave tangles in my skull
Father you weren’t supposed to make me scared to let men stay
All you have done won’t fade, it’s too late
No one is going to ask for your daughter in marriage
You’ve already given her away.