the colour of a collar,
is not a mood ring,
it's blue or white,
it doesn't suddenly change,
depending on how you feel.

the division of classes,
is not hopscotch,
you can't simply jump
from square to square,
gracefully,
over stones.

debt,
like other four-letter words,
is a constant that cannot be erased,
regardless of fancy business cards,
or the poetry of your scalpel.

doubt,
like other underlying emotions,
sprouts and blooms,
when least convenient,
let logic be the shears,
that keep your mind
green, and tidily kept.

let your experience
grant you perspective,
never get caught up
in show and tell,
ant farms,
and pet rocks,
cannot be compared.

never hold with derision
what you've overcome,
or come from,
wear those badges proudly,
like a child wears
bike scars (3 stitches).

never let the memories,
of adversity
fade, let them remind
you of circumstances,
never to be repeated.

past purchases,
do not determine worth,
tie clips are superfluous,
silk and polyester,
are not discernible from a distance.

let the lack of a title,
in your pedigree,
fill you with pride,
not embarrassment.

let the sacrifices of those
before you,
ring with honour,
not with shame.

let your actions
be a logical extension,
of the dreams deferred
on your behalf.

let the blue of your collar
never fade with washing,
regardless of what's implied
by initials after names.