Spillway Review
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                    They Hate Me

                         by David Jordan

I hear much these days about people who hate me.
A sister-in-law, another sister in-law’s
husband, my wife’s North Bend friend.


They find me objectionable. I am sarcastic,
arrogant, snide, insensitive, rude, clumsy,
low-rent, mean-spirited. I inflict insult too
casually, anger too easily, hold grudges too long.



It hurts to be hated, even if you hate back.
What do I want? To disdain them (as I do)
while they yearn for my affection? I suppose.
I desire to be so valuable a human being
even people who don’t like me wish they did.