Hope

The problem is, lady, not that I have too much self respect.

The problem is with my 'hope'.

Beaten; still, at the slightest opportunity, it rises its shameless head.

It won't take a lot to say 'to hell with the world.' And stop believing in people.

It will only take all my life. And that's certainly not a lot. Certainly not to this world and to its people.

Hoping is a sign of weakness.

Now that you know my weakness, I hope - there I go - I hope you do not exploit it, like the world will.

The problem now you see, is not that I have too much self respect.

It is that my hope has too little.