remember when I was this, & you were that?

[theironycurtain]

we were both little pill bugs
crawling around
welcoming the safety of our plated lids
sheltered from the outside world

but i was a littler potato than you
you were supposed to protect me
show me the way

& now we both crawl the face of existence
in our small ways
I suppose I'm stomping around your old digs
while flitting between histories:

of the boy, of the man
of the academic, of the degenerate
of the pack animal, the sheep, the clothing
but the wolf, & the leader too, have I become
& a manager of minds
of relationships, & bodies
beings & beyond
of time, of sorts, even

we all play out each of the roles we are prone to,
over & over again.  Until we perfect, or defect.

Always, though, we know:
curling up in a little ball is what we do best