Contagious Gratitudes
Honey,
sometimes I feel my grateful care-giving
for our mutual care-receiving
grows increasingly under-valued by you
and so,
perhaps for that reason,
also under-valued by me.
Are you suggesting,
my generous lover,
that positive gratitude,
like negative attitude,
is contagious?
Yes, that.
But also I worry
you believe your ultimate gratitude
for my generosity
is to apathetically receive ever more of my care,
rather than to repay in-kind
over our relational time together.
Does expressing my gratitude
with civil please and thank yous
and you are greatly welcome
and with I owe you
some good care-receiving in return
count as at least partial care-giving repayment?
Yes,
and so would taking out the recycling basket
when you fill it,
rather than just leaving it over-flowing
with your Earth-resident care-giving
for me to take out
for us,
as if I were your care-giving robot
nutritionally-compensated for a robust future
by your mere past care-receiving
patriarchal presence
within us.
Are you suggesting
the absence of my care-giving actions
speaks louder
than the presence of my care-giving words?
Something like that, yes.
Well, thanks for that future care-optimizing feedback.
You are quite welcome
to act with care
even before you speak of our mutual care.
Is the recycle basket overflowing
with my care-giving again?
I thought you might have noticed
when your glass bottles
fell to the floor.
Oh,
I thought that was just matriarchal Earth's gravity
saying ThankYou.
No,
that's Her way of saying
it's past time to clean up your care-giving act.
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