Contagious the man who spreads miserable grain
A slave to his own ball and chainConspicuous his burdenFor all to seeGlaring is his cynical strideHe drinks the nectar of the fruitless treeProbing for the fraud in welcoming facesUnrest he foresees, though not always at handHis growth is stunted by his mind’s oasisSlow to understandNot all breathed air is of frigid landBut for the contagious manWhen the cold wind blowsHe has arrived homeFor the cold is all he knows He disparages the notion of an offered handIntrigued by motiveThe toxin released from his spread wingsPollutes the air with energy so corrosiveSo hurried to judgeRusty is his weathered grudgeCrippled by his own conjectureSuspicious of a kind heartDisbelieving of a selfless gestureStaying warm beneath layers of unkind A postman of the world His letter delivered in crystal clear tone A pessimist loves a gatheringAnd never intends to be miserable alone But someday That icy exterior will slowly melt awayAnd after the thawLike warming iciclesThat cold demeanor will inevitably fallPerishing in a world no longer frozenAlways to beTossed about in turbulent seaWithering along the path he’s chosenCopyright © 2014 by Daryl R. Gaines. All rights reserved