Prickly People

Prickly People

...I know ‘em so well.

Twice a year I give thanks
for all the prickly people in my life.
Some of 'em came into life that way
and I guess others got unlucky.

But now here they all are,
one finger always poking at me
while they go about their business
in annoying detail or utter sloppiness.

I can never quite tell
if they're coming or going
because they clog the roads
and slow down our progress.

They ask stupid questions,
are ready to believe anyone,
and tragically seem to lack
the common sense of a potato.

They live on the coasts
and also in the mountains.
But I fear the majority dwell
right here in my neighborhood.

These prickly people are everywhere.
They went to the same schools as me,
cheer for the same teams as me,
and complain about the same things.

I know these prickly people so well
because I am one of 'em.

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You use a glass mirror to see your face;
you use works of art to see your soul.
~ George Bernard Shaw

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