a reduction in life
born we grow
in thought
we learn to think about thinking
at least those of us
who rise above
the just doing good
the move from
quantifiable to what makes us qualifiable
so many stay at the numerical
others decide
to aim a little higher
today i sit and stare at the back of a chair
on it, it reads special forces, airborne, ranger
ranks that make for good stories if anyone cares to listen
instead the man, what's left of him, eats in silence bombarded by talk
of how money was borrowed, saved, and the feelings that come along with
the quantifiable of lending: how needed money for school is given but not for
what was wanted and he sat and made no comments just ate and listened to
the absurdity of his nurse maid - i wanted to rescue him, pull back his chair
ask about his life, his lessons, how he was
not how is now
reduced to a chair
