I am a man of myriad years,
I am a soul of myriad fears.
I am a wish upon the sea
For all the things refused to me.
I am a prayer upon the air,
I chant for gods who are not there.
The lines upon my face reveal
The bitterness I’ve dared not feel.
The freckled arms upon my frame
Hang loose as branches in the rain.
The legs I force beneath my chair
Are candles covered up with hair.

When people ask me who I am,
I answer them, “my name is man.”