Conformation

Sharing Stories

July 4, 2022 at 10:08 p.m.

mirror, mirror...how'm I doin'?

...by Howard Livingston Sroupe

"Conformation"

I comb my hair and
use a mirror to see
that all is in place…
each hair upon my head.

God forbid that I should go
outside, into this world,
with one hair
where it should not be.

Vanity—is that
what it is…
this fear that
what you see is not me?

No, what I wish you to see
is that I am just as you are,
a part of society
that makes me…
just…like…you.

Howard Livingston Stroupe is a Tacoma resident who has shared many pieces with Northwest Prime Time.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
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