The Every Man and woman by Mary Margaret Park

fear

betrayal

wearing the masks of the mundane

every man, the only man, they are anonymous

transparent shadows of doubt and dismay

playing hide-n-seek

we walk blithely through the universe

with hooks buried in our hearts

barbed peace offerings

we couldn’t resist

childhood ghosts

bullied by guilt and shame

we try to disguise and apologize

for the frailty of being human

our birthright

a bitter tonic of family legacy

aged and adulterated

yet

irresistibly familiar

we are at once aware

and unaware

these quintessential flaws

tightly woven into our being

in rebellion we try to shake them free

wasting breath and energy

we need only to embrace them

with acceptance and forgiveness

in this we find a moment of grace

so that we might rest a little easier

and mend our souls

if only for a little while