A Limp Others Can’t See

The old man
crossing the street
has a bad limp

we try to ignore.
No one wants to look
at a limp like that.

We like to think
no one else can see
the limp we have

the limp we earned
by ignoring little people
who get in our way

who strike us as
the litter of life we
want swept away.

Nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart prizes, Donal Mahoney has had poetry and fiction appear in various publications in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of his work can be found here. Donal can be reached at donalmahoney@charter.net. Read other articles by Donal.