Careful America, your humanity is showing.

It’s raw,

It’s ugly,

It’s frightening,

It’s clear in its uncertainty,

It’s beautiful,

And it’s refreshing.

The masks we wear have been ripped away.

The sun burns our eyes,

Our impurities are magnified.

Our face is scarred for all to see.

Our armor of self-confidence lies in a heap at our feet.

Our humanity is laid bare.

These are our new clothes,

Let us not reach for that mask too soon.

alex

9/19/01