When in the parish, he knew instinctively

how far to go,

but now that he is footloose

and free, all he hears is go to jail and

don’t pass go.

He doesn’t aim to be disagreeable

just, when necessary, to disagree,

but it appears he is as welcome

as a dirty dog’s flea

in polite society.

One prophetic friend was

warmly warned

that his ego was in the way,

but the now former friend

just asked him to go away.

As another friend came into view,

the tired guy just said hi and

passed by

apparently not giving the friend

his just due,

so the now-former friend’s wife

tells him the friendship

is through.

Again a friend of twenty-six years

was pushed to the brink

when the man moved his long-time

friend into his discomfort zone and

now the friendship

has a broken link.

The man stands up for social justice,

what’s right and true

but whenever he does, whatever

friends he has left turn five

shades of blue

and all declare this friendship is

through.

So alone he sits and even his wife gives

a look of scowl

and he has decided to

throw in the towel.

Obviously, he doesn’t know how

to finesse

and as hard as it is to confess,

apparently the way out of this mess

is to keep to himself his thoughts

and live by society’s shoulds and oughts

and forget the shouldn’ts and noughts.

And one last thought,

one thing he has learned in this

go-along place, is that

nobody is willing to be challenged

face to face,

but behind peoples’ backs they can

attack and attack

with and ever and always a smiling

face.

Oh, what a disgrace,

but, the guy has to admit,

for all of his effort,

he does sit alone in a

a very lonely place.

And just maybe, for all his spirituality,

he’s in need of some serious

depth therapy.

And, as always, in just

such a mess,

there is 

that second guess.