Did You Ever Poem by Francis Duggan

Did you ever feel quite worthless had an emptiness within
And you felt you were a loser that you were not born to win
For years working in the same job never had a raise in pay
And you struggle to make ends meet life's a struggle all the way.

And the love gone out of your marriage you have grown tired of your wife
All she seem to do is nag you and give you the hardest life
Love was once quite strong between you but now that seems ages ago
Now you never kiss or cuddle and apart you've seemed to grow.

And your teenage son and daughter love and respect to you doesn't show
And 'tis sad when you have to say of your own children 'them I do not seem to know'
To them you were a loving father and your bond with them was strong
And now you ask yourself quite often tell me where did I go wrong? .

You've thought of walking out on your wife and son and daughter to make a fresh start elsewhere
But your heart tells you that to them you have a duty of care
And though they have made life hard on you and you feel to you they've been unfair
You would not leave them to struggle on a low income on welfare.

In four years from now I will be forty and my children will be of working age he say
And without any pangs of conscience I can then go my own way
And did you ever feel as he do on the brink of despair
And only stay with your wife and children due to your duty of care? .