Loving Yourself

A person learns a lot in sixty-eight years,

but some of the lessons keep having to be repeated.
Those are the lessons which your fears

prevented you from learning when they were first
presented to you. It’s just that you were defeated
by what it’ll take more than sixty-eight years

(and ninety-six tears)
to learn, that’s all, rated-
x for adult content, some of ‘em, others

related to your fears
more directly—fear of being left and deserted,
fear of drawing too much attention, fear

of being sharply kicked in the rear
end by someone you really hated.
Still, after sixty-eight years

you know a lot—you’re in the clear
on how to love yourself and play the fiddle.
Shouldn’t that be enough after sixty-eight years
of bucking your fears?