I wrote this poem years ago, while on a date. She was beautiful, and I was smitten. But, like some others I had dated, she seemed to treat dating like a negotiation. I learned a lot about relationships from her and others, who seemed mainly interested in what "I brought to the table". Now that I am finally with a soulmate who only cares that I am at the table, and who loves me for who I am, and not what I bring to the relationship, I finally understand a basic truth. Love needs to be unconditional.
"They brought something to the table",
she said,
as she threw the challenge scarf
before him.
other competitors
for the prize she offered.
They loomed over the restaurant table,
like buzzards
looking for food.
He was a Knight Errant,
on a quixotic quest
for love,
aboard his Rocinante,
wobbling toward an uncertain future.
Was his quest futile?
He wanted to sing
of impossible dreams,
and glorious quests,
and pure love.
But,
his Dulcinea knew
that his heart wasn't ready
for failure.
He raised his sword,
ready for the battle,
his unsteady hand
grasping at straws.
He wasn’t interested
in a war
for her affection.
She would have to find
someone else to fight for her.
He wanted
a lover
and a peacemaker
and a companion,
who instantly recognized his value,
and not
what he brought to the table. 
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