To Some Degree

For Lori
To some degree, you said
Don't we all, as good parents,
To some degree...

Somehow, to some degree,
We let ourselves
Love everyone more
Than we love ourselves
To some degree
Give to anyone more
Than we give to ourselves
To some degree
Say yes to anyone
But ourselves
To some degree

To what degree?

To what degree
Do we cannibalize our strength
Our certainty
Our safety
Our peace
To give, to do
For anyone but ourselves?
Image: First Love Yourself, by Seidman