Raised to be
Hard, tough,
Infallible.
A
Flimsy
Facade.
Outwardly
Confident,
Inwardly fragile.
The words never said,
Situation unacknowledged,
Validation absent,
A continuing cycle of
Missed opportunities and
Absurd stubbornness,
An all-consuming need
To feel important.
In that brief moment
He recognized that
Things hadn’t been as he thought.
People just behave the way
They always have,
With little or no forethought.
All this time spent worrying
It was about him when it really was
People just being themselves.
A sense of relief followed by loss,
So many years wasted,
Many to be enjoyed.
She changes it,
Doubting herself and
Her abilities yet again.
She changes it again,
Realizing how wonderful
Her talents are.
Continuous fluctuation
Between incertitude and
Recognition, celebration.
A door opens on a
Narrow lane in a small
Hillside town forgotten
By time. She steps out
Into the familiar mix
Of shadow and light
Playing off stone.
A neighbor walks by,
The perfunctory hello.
Once in a while she sees
A tourist or two, adventurous
Sorts who journey to isolated
Places for an authentic experience.
She wishes she could tell
Them what her life is like,
Ask them to take her with them.
A lifeless dinner party,
Superficial conversation
Interspersed with
Large silences,
Tight smiles,
People who can barely
Tolerate each other,
The hostess trying hard
To pretend it’s
All going well.
