Give and Take

Oh? That’s all you want?

A little injection of trust?

Well, I suppose I must explain to you

Since you’re new

How to earn

That for which you yearn

So, get ready to learn

Do I have your full attention?

Splendid! And don’t worry, I’ll avoid any aggression

This is only our first session

You think that trust us just given to your classification?

Clearly you were given some faulty information

So listen close as I clear up this little misinterpretation.

Now, I know that I can cause frustration

By withholding trust and admiration

But you see, we all serve the same function

And you’ve lost something in translation

Which gave rise to this erroneous interpretation

Of the deference given to your situation.

Resenting silence leads to demonization

Of those who belong to a different denomination

Of thought. Bringing up risks of discrimination.

Watch yourself for signs of inflation

Of an ego ill-suited to this particular vocation

I exist beyond the scope of your imagination

And remain well suited to evading domination.

Remember this before your next formulation

Of a response to a sigh of resignation

That our shared organization is

Indifferent to squabbles over pronunciation.

This is my attempt at mediation

My turn at the wheel and a second introduction

Will you take this as my attestation

My attempt to de-fang any future miscommunication

And avoid fruitless rumination on

The nuance of our mutual occupation?

I make no attempt at obfuscation

Though I fear your retaliation

I must take this step to ensure cooperation

Because lacking that, our shared operation

Won’t get off the ground or reach the desired destination.

You’re not the only one at fault for this conflagration

I’ve done enough since the initiation

Of our professional relation

To come to the tough realization

That our present situation

Is one of mutual irritation.

An inadvertent vocalization

Is different to an act of insubordination

And if I might be forgiven a little a alliteration

To warn against the creeping, costly, caustic corruption

Of constant course correction

Or continual and convoluted cracks at coerced collaboration

A co-worker’s collected contribution

Should help to speed the collation of

Reasons to pursue the rehabilitation

Of wounded egos at a lack of adulation.

But that was the primary question

At the start of this discussion

Asked for without justification

Demanded as something owed to your station

I don’t know where you came across that notion

Or how you found yourself going through the motions

Of this little game of opposition

But let me say, in my opinion

From my lower position

This game is a kind of relaxation.

You and I, we seek to avoid alienation

We desire an efficient collaboration

And have a shared determination

To never display prostration

Before those who seek elevation

So we come to this evaluation

And the final step in our competition

Ending this battle of emotional attrition

You run the risk of exhaustion

Without promise of remuneration

For your earnest action.

I proffer this for your consideration

So that we might ensure effective communication

And achieve the final completion

Of this competitive oration

Remember that not every expression

Manifests from a predilection against

Meaningful integration.

Keep this conception

At the fore of your cognition

And mayhap you’ll complete your education

Of your role to those under your subordination.

And finally reach the culmination

Of your desire for positional recognition.