YOU DO NOT, CAN NOT

You do not get to demand you be heard 

if you do not know how to listen,

and by failing to to accomplish either, objectively,

you do not get the right

to be able to say  you communicate at all. 

   You do not. 

 

You do not get to feel real genuine love

if you can not understand sacrifice,
nor do you have love in return

if you believe you can demand it.
 

  
 

You can not claim to be courageous

without knowing fear.
one requires the awareness of the other

and if you can see that

then you will never know what it means to be brave or courageous.
 

  You will not.
 

You can not trust if you are not willing

to set yourself up be destroyed.
You have to stand exposed
and believe you will be protected.
 

You can not feel true pride from others

 if you manufacture hubris instead and believe it is the same thing.

It is not.
 

 

 You can not have worth

 if you are not valued.
 

 You can not know true comfort

 if there is always imagined fear.

 

 All of these are dependent

 on either the understanding of the difference

 or the ability to make one accountable

 for what it affects others.

 Most importantly,

 you simply can not gain the full admiration

 and love of another person

 if you are towering above them on a ladder,

 nor can you assume you love another

 if you are expected to be immovable

 to be what they need.