Boxers

The man awakens, hungover,
crawls from bed in a rented room.
Naked, he stumbles to the dresser,
fumbles to open a pack of Pall Malls,
strikes a match, draws and coughs.
What was her name?  Joanne?
Let her sleep.  He pulls on worn boxers, 
passes the mirror, unable to see...

The boy, just twelve, admires his features
through the full reflection of his
mother's dressing mirror.  He wears nothing,
save a new pair of boxer shorts,  a gift
from grandparents to their new young man. 
stiff and fresh and still creased, they
make him feel grown up.  Eager for age
he imagines fulfilling youth's dreams...
 
the man awakens


-dp-
copyright 9-19-83