Greg Burton’s San Francisco Blog

with respect to last night
you clearly didn’t get
the memo…. um, yeah…

Aretha spelled it out
in capital letters
but I missed the song
must not be on
your personal playlist

I could respect
your beliefs and say:
Henceforth, you are nothing
Henceforth, you don’t matter
Henceforth, you are forgotten
Henceforth, you are confused
Henceforth, you are an empty shell
But that would be lying

I could respect
the image and say
You’re a cat
in a doorway
who refuses to go
in or out
But that would be lying

I could say
Don’t let the door hit your ass
on your way out
but it’s too late for that
after you’ve bared your bottom
Isn’t it

so listen up, or
not
Respect is wiping your feet
on the doormat
before you open the door
learn which is which
how to tell door from
doormat before
you knock again

–5/29/2008