Surface Earth, copyright 2007
It is a time before now
A time well past
in this half-finished life
purgatory these last few decades
holding me silently raging
against what could have been
standing the measure of time
against the choices not made
cast as decision
Putting on the familar face
losing my breath to fit the mask
at which point am I more real?
Am I too old now
to even ask?
or too young
so long as there is even one breath
left
to ignore the pain
of pasting upon my face
knowingly curving without thought
the contours of my cheeks
to admit the smile
against the cast of my eyes
A wonderfully thought-provoking piece – as always. For me every choice not taken has built me to be who I am, a person capable of choosing now what I couldn’t even have fathomed then.