That I Did Not Say Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

If you 'were' to select,
Someone to which your abilities were compared...
To be critiqued.
Whom would you pick?

'Hmmm...
Let's see.
I would probably pick someone who believed,
Their best was to achieve mediocrity.'

But suppose their efforts were championed.
And the greater of your efforts were deemed to be less.
Wouldn't that bother you?
Wouldn't you be upset?

'Why should I be bothered?
My mind is not one of a critic.
And I spend no time deciding 'whom' to crtique.'

So you think nothing of your accomplishments.
Nor of your notoriety.

'THAT I did not say.
My devotion, commitment and sacrifice,
Consistency with persistence and longevity...
Should speak for itself.'

Then you are familiar with being criticized?

'Oh yes.
Definitely.
But I've been working on my low tolerance,
When showing I am getting annoyed.'