to negotiate away

It is almost always worth it

to negotiate. There are mountains
and chasms and rivers within us,
and the maps we've drawn up
or we've each been given
don't line up - or they may not

work with the ones
that others have. Or perhaps
yours are just too folded up, re-folded
wrong, dog-eared, worn
as hats,
and origami'd into airplanes, place mats,
repurposed in all sorts of creative shapes,
the letters and directions all chafed
and worn off, from too much good use
to be used anymore as maps.

You have to negotiate

each path, ford and crossing,
with your own eyes
open, wide and see

that the other is with you. The only way

it can ever not be worth it
to negotiate,

is where the other person's not willing
to negotiate it with you.
And at that point, sure,
you must give up. You
can't ford a river together
against one of your wills. The rushing water

alone

is enough, without
trying to push past that.
So you're better off to face
the rushing water

alone.

If one of you decides it's not worth it, then

there will be no way you can spot,
no path you can plot, and
no bird's eye view
will see you

through.