(Re)spect

I was making a spectacle,

Dread detectable.

I had to step back,

Wipe my eyes and mind,

To see what I could find,

Align my spine—

Find out if I even have one left.

 

I found myself cyclical,

Continually cynical,

Questioning you,

And avoiding the reciprocal.

 

In retrospect, I must confess,

That while inspecting

the speck near you

I was ignoring the plank,

Driven like a stake,

Through my own vision.

 

I need time for introspection,

To review what is written,

Change my mission.

 

No need to defend

my position

because,

 

When I look back,

and look again

(Re)connecting—

(Re)specting—

I can see

That I need

To adjust my view

(And maybe my thinking),

Though I’ve no inkling

How to begin.