He acts tough,
Brash, invincible,
Perpetually
Fake optimistic,
Because that’s
What he thinks
People want to see.
He forgets that
It means more to
Be vulnerable,
Courageously looking
Inward to find and
Reveal his true self,
Unadulterated.
He didn’t realize
What he had said,
He never did,
But she knew, and
It increased the
Already vast space
Between the two,
Each in his or her
Own part of the
Universe, going
About life.
Many years passed and
There arose the dismaying
Realization that they
Had never reflected on
Anything, reconsidered
Their actions, grown
In any way, understood
The implications of
What they did; if anything,
It had become worse,
Setting the stage for
Chronic stuntedness.
She toiled in obscurity
For many years and
Suddenly became an
Overnight success.
Where before she couldn’t
Even give away her talent,
Now there was not enough
Of it to satisfy the
Clamoring masses hungry
For a piece of her magic.
She remembers all the
Years of struggle,
Laments the countless
Millions who haven’t yet
Been discovered,
Understands the fleeting
Nature of fame,
The role of chance,
The risk of forgetting
What really matters.
They are entrusted
With the responsibility
Of governing, moving
The country forward.
They commence their
Solemn duty with the
Only thing that makes
Any sense to them:
Steeply boosting funding for
Waging war and drastically
Cutting programs that
Help the poor.
Waking up, another
Fear-infested day,
Reading the headlines
Stemming directly from
His own toxicity,
Him, there but for
Circumstance, separation of
Only moment and location,
Already part of the
Horror, anticipating the
Inevitable conclusion.
I can’t memorize
Anything to save my life,
Can’t recite poetry
Off the top of my head
To impress a crowd or
Advance in academia,
But I innately understand
The feelings a work evokes,
And what it means
On a deeper level,
That’s where I live,
Short on specifics,
A form of perception
Beyond particular words.
Each day he visits
The same store,
Hoping she’ll be there
So they might share
Some small talk about
The weather or what’s
Going on around town.
It’s been like this
For almost a year,
Smiles and pleasantries
Exchanged briefly.
Family reunion,
Everyone looks happy,
All the guys
Standing by the barbecue
One-upping each other,
All the women in
The kitchen talking
About the men,
Kids running around,
Underlying misery.
