Hollow Competence

 They move with a patience that has no hunger at all. 
Blue marbles for eyes. Green marbles for 
eyes. Black marbles for eyes. Camouflaged in 
designer normalcy, they never stutter a word. 

Approximately half have children. 
(Approximately half never will.) 
Life for them moves in obligation to 
assembly, a plastic puzzle of 
lifeless pieces. Gestures and formalities. 
A ritual to disguise 
the transformation of 
prejudice and indifference 
into the poisonous red meat of self-anger. 

While soulful outlaws and nostalgic introverts 
learn the texture of walls and skies, 
they re-imagine small aspects of the weather. 
They never search or stutter a word. 



**** 

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