offense

what is offense?

like hunger and weariness,

tis not a conscious choice.

yet at times it involves the mental

for logical implications at times produce the conclusion that offends.

tis the emotion produced by the perceived defiance

of a part of self one holds dear.

something one believes to be oneself

challenged by a word, perception, or action.

The association of what one rejects

to oneself.

The reaction is offense, and its basic force attempts

to invalidate that association,

the source of the word or the action that caused it.

Hence anger is a common consequence,

seeking to force that association to invalidation or destruction,

or at least to a farther distance.

Shame is another,

and it seeks to hide the old and dear from the new

and prevent their unpleasant conflict

within.

tis the reaction to the impending calamity

that the rejected may touch and merge with self.