My gift

I have a talent.
I can read people.
My father gave me this
gift.
The only one
he ever gave me.
It was survival.
In my home.
I knew if I was
going to get beat
that day.
I could tell
first thing in
the morning.
I could smell it
sense it, feel it.
I could look in
his eyes and know,
Yes today you will
feel his anger.
In doing this
 reading people
 I always
put others first.
I know what will
make them happy.
Its a curse.
In doing this
my needs simply
do not matter.
Untill I left my husband.
I felt like I left
my  Father.
For the first time I
put my needs first
and never looked back.
As for my Father.
that gift, that curse
I finally gave it away.
and never looked back.
I learned how to put myself
first and still make others
happy.
Now thats the true gift.