Attempts to Reconcile

Not fully realized
Within the hours I sleep
I carry them along

I dine with them
I drink to them
When alone
I speak of them

At times more about one than another
At times never about one
But I carry that along too
Whims and urges demand that

Not even fully realized
Within this space
I leave them for sleep
And the next day

A Random Act…

At the stroke of one
He saw the men emerge
And gather in the fresh air
Coughing, squinting and gasping

He kept time as they washed
The black from their hands and face
And sat in the clean dirt
To eat their meals

Their words and laughter reached him
Some spat too, others cursed
And then they all looked at him
And he at the time

He saw the hand tick over
But the whistle in his mouth
Remained bereft of air
Longer than usual

The Ruse

While all the appropriate words
Are being said and shared
Accompanied by laughs, hugs and tears
I shall stand in a corner and disappoint

And then compensate later
Through a different medium
That allows much
To remain with me

The Routine

A cramped office space
Papers stacked unevenly
And high

The faces
Of engrossed men
Hidden behind

A man
Not hidden
Hiding
Observes all but them
Through the window
By his right