just a reflection
of your lack of confidence
in me

respectful of responsibility
instead of following gut
listening to your threat of failure

the Gray advice
to always shoot across
orthodox, no matter how hard, true

at eager stoppers
knowers of that tune
hitting myself until cross

estranged from self
a hard line effectiveness reborn
not quite my best

but more than you expected
having accidentally realised
all we never meant

and this despite the odd corker
and truth
‘I was glad you never squared that one to me’

A. H / K. H-H (30th March 2019)