I

Such a slim barrow into which to stuff
          a life; such a narrow beam to cross
      and brace the walls. Pollarded and shallowrooted,
          it resists the winds, persists
despite its pruning. Stiff and stolid
          in its ramrod stance, it stands, but shifts
      and strays when no one's watching. It sees
          the road ahead, but is always looking
back. It asserts and it equivocates.
          It makes mistakes. It flirts with grief and grace.
      It wears a mask to hide its missing face.

        after Erving Goffman

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Copyright © 2015 Zachariah Wells All rights reserved
from Sum
Biblioasis
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission