Respect is the Universal Currency

It’s inflated by idiots

and deflated

by reality. The truth is

respect can be taken from you at any moment

It knows no social class.

All a man or woman wants

is respect. In fact, human beings

spend most of their lives

trying to be respectable. They buy luxury cars

and live in big houses. They have tea parties

and go to the Opera. Some of them collect books

and never read a single one. People will envy your wealth, your good looks, your social status, your education, your intelligence,

but never

your wisdom.

Respect, or a lack there-of

is why gangs commit violence

and white-collar workers shoot-up the office.

Respect,

is why teenagers race hot-rods

and lawyers become politicians—it’s not enough, just to do paperwork in private

Power, is respect

and if you have power

people will try to take that from you.

That’s what boxing is about, in its rawest form

to get respect,

and to take it, from somebody else.

A wise man, wants a worthy opponent

He doesn’t want to win, when his enemy is weak.

If children respect their parents, they will live long lives

but many parents aren’t worthy of respect

and their children won’t live very long.

Citizens of the world unite, in disrespect of their planet

polluted

by pop-culture, and deviance

so far away from normal

that “normal”, isn’t normal anymore.

Death, is everywhere. When life is disrespected

millions are murdered.

Doctors go to medical school, to learn how to disrespect life.

Teachers go to college, to learn how to become ignorant.

Men who keep the lights on and the toilets flushing

and the showers running

are the most disrespected in society.

We shower politicians with praise—we give them our attention and respect

even if we hate them. Think about that…

People don’t respect themselves.

If they did,

they would do what is right.

Many of them,

don’t know what that is,

anymore.

They are lost

because they don’t respect anything

They don’t stand for anything

they kneel, for disrespect.

It doesn’t take guts to lie down

Respect is won on battlefields

People die free, because, even a tyrant has to respect their enemy

If they don’t, their power is in jeopardy.

Respect, is what we live for

and die for

To say otherwise, is to reject the reason for respect—

our existence.

The principal who I respected

was a man of honor

Even he, was disrespected, continuously

by parents who didn’t know how to show respect

Consequently, he retired early

and the school got a new principal

who knew no shame.

All of their angry criticisms

fell on his deaf ears.

When good men are not revered

bad men

take their place

to punish the people.