Acts And Reactions



The way you feel about me and the things I do
is none of my business,
to myself I must be true.
There is no alternative to self-direction.
Machinated contrivance
leads to much disaffection.
If you like me as I am I feel accepted.
Don't attempt to reshape me,
for this I have rejected.
Pleasing everyone but me is self-denial.
Trusting my internal guide
I will choose my own lifestyle.
Mutual values and interests are acquiescent.
Congenial companions
are compatibly pleasant.
For my acts I'm liable, not your reactions.
I must answer for my deeds
without any retractions.
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Submitted on February 05, 2010

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
1

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABACDCEFEGHIAJKJLB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 554
Words 98
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 18

Wallace Dean LaBenne

Professor, therapist, author and poet. more…

All Wallace Dean LaBenne poems | Wallace Dean LaBenne Books

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    "Acts And Reactions" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/65166/acts-and-reactions>.

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