Kept Principles Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Never have I switched my interests,
To express indifference to neglect.
I 'had' been too giving of my experiences,
To be shown my interests...
Were successfully disrespected.

And I would be upset,
If I was the only one in this position.
But after many years of giving my best,
To those who rejected my giving to protest...
Why should I neglect my interests?
When those to whom I gave unconditionally,
Suspected with a thoughtless consciousness...
What I did was to get from 'them',
An attention to impress how it was I could sweat.
And with a doing that feeds my ego.
So I left behind that kind of mentality to 'step'.
With no regrets.

'You have done 'what' and for free?
Bleed?
And I offered I would pay you,
To do the same thing for me?
Tell me...
Just 'who' are these creatures,
Who refused this kind of loyalty?
And I can not pay a soul to lift a finger...
Before or after their two-hour lunch break.'

Never have I switched my interests,
To express indifference to neglect.
I 'had' been too giving of my experiences,
To be shown my interests...
Were successfully disrespected.

'But...
I am willing to pay you big bucks for your interests.'

You couldn't pay me enough for my kept principles.

'WHERE do you come from? '

My father had asked me the same thing.
To leave me dumbfounded.
I didn't know what to say so I said nothing.
And I thought to myself...
If he didn't know how I got here,
And what that process took for 'him' to do...
Well,
What would be the point of 'my' explanation?
Or time to give to still be misunderstood.
I didn't achieve my peace of mind,
By it being handed to me.
So like I did to him...
I leave you to walk amongst the trees.

'Hey...
I'm willing to pay you for it.
Your interests. I 'need' your interests.'

Which one of us is not listening?
I said...
You couldn't pay me enough for my kept principles.