Should I pay myself the respect
of assuming someone else could love me?
To listen and connect
would then be possible for me,
proving me worthy
of your respect.
I don’t want you to genuflect
before a graven image of me
and let me serve and protect
you, while you suspect it’s
secretly all about me.
I’ll only deserve respect
if I whistle “Paddywhack”
and dangle my feet from my knees
to embody and project
(gigolo?).
Worthy of respect?
We’ll see!
