I Have to Live with Myself,
And So...I Want to Be Fit
For Myself to Know;
I Want to Be Able as Days Go By
Always to Look Myself
Straight in the Eye;
I Don't Want to Stand
With the Setting Sun...
And Hate Myself for the
Things I've Done...
I Don't Want to
Keep on a Closet Shelf...
A Lot of Secrets about Myself...
And Fool Myself as I Come and Go
Into Thinking That
Nobody Else Will Know
The Kind of a Woman
I Really Am;
I Don't Want to
Dress Myself up in Sham...
I Want to Go out with
My Head Erect.
I Want to Deserve
All Men's Respect;
But Here in the
Struggle for Fame and Wealth
I Want to Be Able to like Myself
I Don't Want to
Think as I Come and Go
That I'm Bluster and Bluff
and Empty Show...
I Never Can Hide Myself from Me
I See What Others May Never See
I Know What Others May Never Know
I Never Can Fool Myself
And So...
Whatever Happens,
I Want to Be...
Self-respecting and Conscience Free.
--Edgar A. Guest
Art by Alan Ayers
Graphics by tiggheart
